Undercover in Love
by magnipisika16
Summary: For her first undercover mission as Officer Whi-Two, Rosa finds herself in a tricky situation of infiltrating a strip club already being ambushed by another police department, and an even trickier situation of attempting to arrest her soon-to-be mentor, Inspector Nate, codename Lack-Two.
1. Mission1

Mission_1: Police Badge

An almost pitch-black establishment lit only by neon lights of varied colors ranging from angry pink to blinding purple and filled with half-naked women and drunken men, most of which are sprawled comatose on the floor, greeted Lack-Two as he stepped in, the pungent odor of alcohol and vomit filling his nose. The boy had to stop for a moment, and reflect.

It was at times like these that made him reconsider the decisions he makes in life.

The tall, burly man walking silently behind him suddenly grabbed the boy's shoulder with his beefy hand, and though the boy may have gone through worse over the years, he can't help but admit to himself that the jolt that had passed through his system was real, and it was that of fear. The bouncer, though friendly-looking, can simply snap his neck in two easy movements, and he didn't come there for that reason.

Although that option is still available depending on how the tables will turn. Literally.

"Find anyone you like?" the tall, burly man asks, his eyes journeying around as well. Lack-Two had to swallow back the shudder running its way up to his throat, just so he could speak.

"Her," he said, subtly pointing with his thumb to a fairly tall brunette—almost as tall as he was—who was a bit busy fixing her top.

The tall, burly man smiles knowingly, eyebrow upturned.

"Good choice," he comments, letting him go brusquely, leaving his side to make his way to where the said girl was standing.

Lack-Two rubbed his shoulder begrudgingly.

Frankly, what the girl looked like—or what she can _do_ , for that matter—mattered very little to him. He just needed a girl—any girl—but since he was given the power to choose, then might as well choose the one that's less… offensive.

The boy clears his throat as he tried to avert his gaze at one older woman who had to stop dancing for a moment to give him a wink.

He wanted to get the fuck away from there soon.

The man with the beefy hands shoves his way back to him, and gestures for him to follow. Lack-Two gulps hard, and with the right amount of courage, his legs started moving robotically after the man, letting him lead the both of them through the sea of intoxicated men and women.

Lack-Two makes it a point not to have any form of contact—most especially eye contact—as he treads the dangerous path that is this strip club at one of its peak hours.

"Here we are," the man announces as they reach a well-lit door that screams "Room 8" in neon colors. "The complementary Private Dance room you ordered."

Lack-Two gives his eyes another thirty or forty seconds to get used to the blare of the light, but otherwise, he nods. He watches as the man opens the door for him, taking in the last of his remaining words.

"…and if you're going to have sex on the table, please have the manners to at least put the glasses aside first. We're running short on wine glasses, and we won't get any more supplies until two weeks later." He gives him an apologetic smile.

"We ship them from Kalos, you see."

Lack-Two's eyes journeys through the room's rather lavish design. It was still almost pitch-black and relied on neon lights for illumination, but the shade of pink they used was forgivable. It reminded him of that Goth Barbie birthday theme one of his nieces had some years ago—fuzzy, pink, and empty, just like how he remembered it.

"We hope you enjoy your stay, Sir. The dancer will be here in a beat."

And with a tip of his cap, he closes the door behind him, leaving Lack-Two by himself.

Yep, this was definitely like a re-enactment of his niece's birthday party.

He sighs. _Might as well make something of it._

The boy peels off his jacket and drapes in over one of the upholstered chairs' backrest and sat there. He gives the place yet another examination before leaning forward, reaching for the bottle of champagne and the wine glass sitting next to it, bringing it back with him as he rests his back again, pouring himself a glass.

 _Perrier-Jouët. Not bad._

Lack-Two lifts the glass to his nose and inhales deeply, a satisfied look in his face. The aroma of liquor brings him back, and the memory of his own home away from work somewhat relaxes him. Takes his mind away, for once.

He was about to take a sip when a knock from the door comes forth, and he looks behind him, a disappointed look in his face.

Looks like he has to forego the expensive liquor for now.

He clears his throat and calls out.

"Come in."

The door opens silently and in came the same girl from before, only this time cloaked in white, the fabric simply dangling over some parts of her body, making her almost visually naked. Lack-Two could already feel the flip in his stomach as she looks at him straight in the eye.

He inhales deeply again as he turns to look away, resting himself against the chair, the glass of liquor sitting stiffly between his fingers. He opted to listen to her gentle footsteps as she walks towards him and was generally shocked when he felt her hand land gently on the chair's backrest, where his jacket was idly resting.

From the corner of his eye, he watched her move—softly sliding her hand down to his shoulder as she stepped forward. She lets it rest there for a moment as she raises her other hand, and started lifting some of the fabric away.

Lack-two remains calm as he focused not on the warmth of her hand against his thin shirt, but on the smooth surface of the wine glass' bottom that rested on his frozen fingers.

The signal should be there any minute now. He just hoped that the girl would still have enough clothing on her before that. This isn't the kind of entertainment he'd want on evenings like tonight.

He stiffly lifts the wine glass to his lips, trying to give off a look of nonchalance despite the slight tremors already crawling along his rested legs. She seems to take it as a challenge, and lets the slow, fluid movements suddenly transform into sharp and snappy ones. In a blink of an eye, she has already climbed on his lap, one knee resting on him while the other leg remains dangled, a few inches away from between his.

Lack-Two remains unperturbed, returning the intense gaze she was giving him with an uninterested one. He slowly puts the glass away, giving her room to near her body to his.

And near her body she does, teasing him with her heat. He just watches her, moving only in minimal actions, as if he was challenging her.

The girl leans forward even more, letting her bare skin brush against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, nearing his face to him. But, still, the boy remains unperturbed.

He tips his head to the side and takes another sip, fully ignoring the girl's attempt, making her land her lips to the sensitive patch of skin underneath his ear. Lack-Two felt the warmth of her breath run through his skin for a brief moment, but the feeling was gone before he could do anything about it.

 _Amateur_ , he thought playfully to himself as he returns his gaze to her. He makes sure she was staring into his face and nothing else before he makes a show of biting his lower lips gently and slowly as he widens his smile.

The signal's not showing any signs of coming anytime soon, so he decided a little fun of his own.

"Is that all you got?" he challenges her with a wink. The girl surprisingly looked aghast.

She pulls away from him and backs away, an indecipherable look in her eyes. Lack-Two raises an eyebrow at her, wondering, when she suddenly lifts her hands, and started untying the fabric that covered everything underneath her lower abdomen.

Lack-Two inwardly snorts. This girl was serious.

She was coming near him again, the knot about to be undone, and he just watches her.

Not that he was interested, but he might as well make the most from the money he's paid.

She was about to meet his eyes again, when a loud beeping came from his watch. They both stare at it for a moment, Lack-Two with relief, and the girl with shock. He lifts the watch to his mouth, and speaks.

"Thought you guys would never come."

And with that, loud sirens could be heard from all around the vicinity.

The girl was panic-stricken. Lack-Two smiles.

This was the kind of entertainment he needs.

"I am Inspector Lack-Two of the Unova Police Department, Nimbasa Division, and this is an ambush," he announces, fishing out his badge and flashing it to her. "You, along with the rest of the staff forming this establishment are hereby arrested on the grounds of prostitution, human trafficking, and illegal shipment of foreign paraphernalia. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

The girl looks at him with wide eyes, but other than, she remains unperturbed.

"No use trying to run away, Sunshine, this place is already surrounded. My men have already infiltrated the establishment, and are already in pursuit of the management as we speak."

He reaches for his belt and pulls out a pair of handcuffs. Then, he faces her, and reaches out.

"Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either you take my hand and you let me cuff you, and we walk out of this room peacefully, or we fight." He pauses and gives her a knowing smile.

"Frankly, both are fine by me."

The girl seems to have awoken from a trance.

"No, you don't understand," she finally pipes up, and to Lack-Two's surprise, she actually continues lifting off her clothing. His hand immediately flies to the pistol on his back pocket, ready for a counter. But what the girl fishes out slightly surprises him.

It was a police badge as well.

"I'm here to arrest you, too," she said.

-…-

Sounds of screams and glasses crashing emanate from outside his room, but Lack-Two was undisturbed, his full attention still focused on the girl (who he now realizes to have been wearing a bodysuit all this time underneath all that cloth), a police badge on her hand, declaring arrest.

"That's…" he begins, but was blocked by the girl's agonized scream.

"What the heeeeeeellllllll," she screeched, clawing at her head in frustration. "My first undercover job as a police officer, and it had to be on the day of an ambush of another department?!" She gives out another inhuman screech as she clenches her fist and starts beating her head in frustration.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

Lack-Two only watched her, feeling a bit lost.

"I-I'm confused," he mutters, relaxing his stance in fear of threatening the already-threatened girl.

The girl stops for a moment, and looks back at him. The two share another silent look, before the girls sighs resignedly, turns to face him completely, and glumly flashes her badge at him once again.

"Unova Police Department, Aspertia Division Officer Whi-Two," she basically spits at him, a disheartened look in her face. "You, along with the rest of the customers within this establishment are hereby arrested on the grounds of patronizing services that involve prostitution, human trafficking, and illegal shipment of foreign paraphernalia. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

Lack-Two watches her with uncertainty. Then at the window where he could actually catch glimpses of silhouettes running around, and then back at her again.

"Well, this is certainly interesting," he comments, to which the girl replies with yet another frustrated screech.

"This is unbelievable!" she cries. "And this was my first big mission, too! Talk about bad luck! God damn it! God fucking damn it!"

Lack-Two was about to say something when his watch begins buzzing. He lifts it up and listens, nods, and then faces her again.

"We better vacate this building," he says, picking up his jacket. "The ambush is about to end, and all of us have to report in, otherwise, we'll get arrested too. And that includes you."

He throws his jacket at her and gestures her to follow.

"I'll see what I can do in trying to explain this to my superintendent, though you might as well look decent when I do."

-…-

"Ah, Officer Whi-Two, lovely to hear from you!"

Whi-Two's Division Chief flashed a cheerful smile from the other side of the screen. The girl just stared at him with a glum expression.

Some heads turned at the sound of the high-pitched voice, but the girl ignores them all with all her might. She chooses to glue her eyes to the old man beaming from the screen, and him alone.

Eye contact with anyone—especially if they were male—will put her to pieces. That's how traumatized she was.

"May I be the first to congratulate you on a job well done! I heard that you were present during one of the Nimbasa Division's ambush last night! How reliable of you, officer!"

The glum expression in Whi-Two's face grows even worse as she drops her gaze in annoyance.

Where was the "reliable" in having an inspector from another division lie his way to saving her ass from further embarrassment, all because she chose to act on her own in the most inadvertent of times?

Even until now, she still couldn't help but feel like she was supposed to be offended with the wink that inspector gave her when he said "you've already paid for my efforts in full".

A shudder ran through her spine that she had to suppress in front of her superior.

What did that inspector mean by that?

"Anyway," her superintendent continued. "I take it that you're currently in the Nimbasa Headquarters?"

She nods. Stiffly.

"Good! I've been meaning to give you the good news in person, but I don't think it would be practical if I were to ask you to go back here in Aspertia, and then travel back again there in Nimbasa."

To that, the girl raises a brow.

"What do you mean, sir?"

The superior beamed even more cheerfully at her.

"Congratulations, Officer Whi-Two," he announces, loud enough for the other policemen in the room to hear. "You are hereby re-assigned to the UPD's main branch, Nimbasa! Effective today!"

" _WHAT_?!" Her screech was heard from across the hall, earning her a few stares from those working on the other room, as well as those passing by. She had to cover her mouth, and sit back down, but the feeling of shock did not die down.

"R-Reassigned?" she stammers, nearing herself to the laptop's screen to make sure she understood well. "Y-You're reassigning me? Y-You mean, I have to work in this headquarters from now on?! H-Here in N-Nimbasa?"

The chief looks at her innocently.

"For a second there, I'd thought you'd be excited. For one thing, it's closer to your hometown… And secondly, this should be a privilege to division officers? Working for the main branch."

"I-I know that, Sir, but…"

 _But why_ here? She makes a mistake of looking to her side, where the inspector from a while ago was taking his break, sipping on his coffee while reading through some papers. He lifts up his eyes and stares at her innocently, and she had to actually pull her gaze away.

She knew it was still too early, but she already hates the way he stares at her. And now she has to work where _he_ works.

"Well, that's not all, anyway," the chief continued. "There's still more."

"There's still more?" Whi-Two spits through gritted teeth, feeling even worse. Somehow, this can't possibly be something good anymore. She is done trusting for things to get any better.

"You're getting promoted."

Whi-Two had to pause for a moment to let the words sink in.

"P-Promoted, sir?" she murmurs.

The chief cheerfully nods.

"It seems the higher-ups were impressed with your performance for the past months, and finally decided that you are practically skilled enough to become a 3rd Grade Detective. That's one rank higher—aren't you proud?"

Whi-Two would be lying if she said she wasn't. She actually finds it exhilarating enough to let the grim feeling from what has transpired earlier to roll over her shoulders..

 _Finally_ , she gushed.

 _One step closer._

Behind her, Lack-Two drops his papers, and to watch her animated movements as she listened to her division officer. He notes the way she tries her best to suppress back her smile, but only in vain, and he finds himself smiling.

"Inspector?" The boy turns his head and finds a tall man standing by his side, looking down at him with kind eyes.

"Sir," he greeted, standing up immediately and performing a salute.

Lack-Two's superintendent laughs good-heartedly.

"So stiff and formal, aren't you, young man?" he comments, and then lifts his gaze to the girl behind Lack-Two.

"I see that Officer Whi-Two is finally settled in?"

"Settled in, sir?" Lack-Two repeats, finally putting down his hand and turning to Whi-Two, who was then bowing gratefully at the laptop screen, mumbling a multitudinous amount of 'thank you's' to her chief.

"You won't be disappointed, sir!" she was saying, a relieved glint flashing through her pastel-colored eyes. "Rest assured that I will prove to the board that they're decision was, in fact, spot on!"

Lack-Two senses a movement, and he returns his gaze to his superintendent who was already making his way to the girl. The older man finds his place behind the girl, narrowly missing Whi-Two's fists as she shoots them triumphantly into the air.

The girl looks behind her abruptly, pale with fear.

Lack-Two had to suppress the urge to laugh.

"Quite the jumpy one, aren't you, dear?" Lack-Two's superintendent smiled. "That's good. We need a more vast variety of characters in this department."

"E-Erm…" was all Whi-Two could give as a reply.

The man faces the screen and acknowledges the presence of Whi-Two's chief.

"Pleased to see you again, Colonel Rikhard," he greets, nodding slightly at the division officer.

"How fares the Aspertia Division?"

"Ah, Superintendent Aldin! Good to see you out of your office during working hours!" the other replied cheerfully. "Aspertia is fine, all fine. The new recruits are all very reliable, as you are about to witness for yourself."

He gestures at Whi-Two with pride, but only to realize too late that his most prized rookie wasn't in her most crowning moment at all.

Whi-Two stared at Superintendent Aldin with so much awe that Lack-Two couldn't help but finally burst out a chuckle at the way her mouth was the same shape as her big, bulging eyes. Aldin had to reprimand him gently.

"I take it you are Trooper recently gone Detective Whi-Two?" he asks kindly, giving her a warm smile, but Whi-Two was unmovable.

 _This is him_ , she thought to herself wildly. _Unova Police Department's Superintendent in the flesh… Superintendent Aldin! Oh, God fucking damn it, Whi-Two, where are your manners?! Salute! Salute, you little bitch!_

And salute she did, in the most awkward and ungraceful way possible. Another chuckle escaped Lack-Two's lips.

"S-Sir!" she almost screamed at him. "P-Pleased to finally meet you in person, Sir!"

"Quite the jumpy one," the superintendent chuckles before returning his gaze to the rather apologetic Rikhard.

"She's the rookie you've been telling me about, Colonel?" he inquires with a smile.

"Ah, that she is! This is Detective Whi-Two—she may not look like the best outside of duty, but I assure you, she's one of the most well-trained and multi-skilled Troopers here in Aspertia. You've seen her records…"

"Yes, indeed, I have," Aldin agrees, eyeing Whi-Two from head-to-toe. "Solved 23 cases in one week—she almost beats the record of one of our best." He gestures at Lack-Two, who was watching Whi-Two with amusement.

"What do you think, Inspector?"

"Quite a remarkable record, Sir," he answers, transitioning his expression smoothly and accordingly. "And I dare say she lives up to it, as I've seen her in action just shortly before. I have nothing much to say of her performance."

He catches Whi-Two's attention momentarily, and he seizes that opportunity to give her another wink.

The urge for the girl to strangle him was strong.

"You must be the one they call 'Mister Perfect'," Rikhard chimes in, looking to his side to where he thinks Lack-Two was standing. Whi-Two drops her salute to move the laptop, and let it face the boy.

"Ah, yes! It _is_ you, Inspector Lack-Two! Pleased to finally see you in the flesh, sort of. You really do look as young as they say."

Lack-Two nods politely.

"Pleased to meet you, Colonel."

Rikhard faces Whi-Two.

"Look alive, dear," he tells her. "You are standing in the presence of two of the most well-known names in the whole history of the UPD—the highest-ranking officer alive, Superintendent Aldin, and his protégé, the youngest policeman to have ever reached the rank of Inspector, and currently in charge of the Special Undercover Unit of the UPD, Inspector Lack-Two!"

"Y-You're…" Whi-Two mumbles, but thinks against continuing, and just simply salutes, to which Lack-Two salutes back, a small smile on his face.

"I assume our beloved rookie is in good hands there in your department?" Rikhard asks.

"But, of course," Aldin replies. Then he faces Whi-Two.

"Welcome aboard, Detective."

Whi-Two's wide blue eyes grew even wider with excitement.

"T-Thank you, sir!"

Aldin smiles and nods at her, and then faces Lack-Two.

"Inspector," he calls. Lack-Two straightens up.

"You know the protocol."

To that, the boy's shoulders dropped slightly as he did a double take at his Superintendent.

"Sir?" he clarifies.

Aldin just smiles at him.

"Come now, my dear boy. This girl is supposedly the cream of the crop from where she came from. What better way to make use of that potential than to put her under one of the best there is? Don't disappoint me now as your former mentor, Lack-Two…"

"B-But, sir…"

He steals a glance at Whi-Two, who was watching the exchange with confused eyes.

"Uhm," she begins.

"Detective," Aldin explains. "Here in our ranks, we follow a special mentor-mentee system, especially for the newcomers. They will be more often than not assigned to work on the same missions, and this will act as the newcomer's rather long period of orientation."

He places a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Lack-Two here will be your mentor. From now on, he will be responsible for everything that happens to you, until he deems it unnecessary. All your questions and concerns will be always directed to him, unless the circumstances require asking someone else. Are we clear?"

There was a long and eerie pause before Whi-Two was able to give out an audible, half-hearted "yes, sir".

Lack-Two watches her with the same expression.

"I take it that you'll do a marvelous job knowing your exceptional skills in dealing with people, am I correct, Lack-Two?" He faces the boy.

"Can I rely on you for this assignment, dear boy?"

The boy falters for a moment, but he lets it go professionally, and gives a salute, ignoring the pool of emotions playing across the girl's face as she watches him part his lips in accordance.

"Sir, yes, sir."

 **-Mission_1 Status: Accomplished-**

 **Please don't expect quick updates. You've been warned.**


	2. Mission2

Mission_2: Combat Training

"E-Erm…" Whi-Two's eyes twitch slightly as she tries her best to retain her salute, even after Colonel Rikhard had signed out and Superintendent Aldin had left, leaving her alone with her new superior, Lack-Two.

"I'll be under your care then, Inspector…"

She stares deeply into Lack-Two's slightly annoyed look, and watches as it transforms into something sterner.

Just like that, Whi-Two's annoyance is quickly replaced with fear.

"Very well," her superior sighs, crossing his arms as if in deep thought. Then his head shoots up as he looks at her in the eye.

"I'm giving you a maximum of ten minutes to gather your things and get changed. After ten minutes, I want you to meet me in the Combat Training Hall in your Combat Training Uniform. And I'm not talking simply slipping into your shirt and sweatpants and combat shoes… I'm talking _that_ ridiculous set of hair in a tight bun, and that forlorn-looking face in a more combative mood. Are we clear, Detective?"

"Y-Yes, Sir. But…"

"Are we _clear,_ Detective?!"

Whi-Two immediately straightens herself.

"Sir! Yes, Sir!"

Lack-Two exhales. "Very good." Then he faces another officer who was sitting nearby.

"Inspector Lai," he calls out.

"Sir," the girl responds snappily.

"Accompany Detective Whi-Two to the Women's Locker Room and help her get the proper combat training uniform prescribed for the Nimbasa Division."

"Sir. Yes, sir."

Lack-Two nods. Then faces Whi-Two.

"Detective, from here on end, consider all your belongings—ranging from your uniforms to your equipment—as simply souvenirs from your former division. You may collect them on a more convenient time. And that is not now, I am afraid. Are we clear?"

Whi-Two almost mumbles her reply. "Sir. Yes, sir."

"Any questions before we proceed?"

The girl pauses for a moment.

"N-None, sir." Then, hastily, she adds: "Thank you, Sir."

"Good," Lack-Two nods. He snappily turns on his heel and begins walking away.

"Ten minutes," he calls out before disappearing in the hallway. Whi-Two listens to the sound of his heel hitting against the tiled flooring, trying her best to process what her new superior had just said.

Everything was suddenly running in different directions, and she can't seem to keep up. This is too much for a first day, even if they say this was the prestigious UPD main branch.

She barely had the time to breathe in the same air he was breathing. And now, he's already ordering her around.

Was this guy really the same perverted gentleman who helped her get away with one of her biggest failures in life?

"Detective?" a voice squeaks from behind her. She turns to find the lady from before now smiling kindly at her. If it wasn't for her confusion, Whi-Two would've enclosed her in an embrace.

"Inspector Lailani Oudir of the Crime Scene Investigation Unit," she beams, reaching out a hand for her. "I look forward to working with you in service in the near future."

"Detective Whi-Two, apparently," she smiles back a little awkwardly, but reaching out for the girl's hand nonetheless.

"Same goes for me. Pleased to meet you, Inspector…"

 _Wait…_ she thought. _Inspector? Crime Scene Investigation Unit?_

The young detective freezes as she stares at the blonde girl's rather misleading features.

"You're…?"

"In charge of the CSI, where you'll be working half of your time!" the inspector finished for her, a smile still on her face.

"Guess you could say I'm one of your bosses, aside from Inspector Lack-Two. I'll be handling you as a detective, while Lack-Two, aside from being your mentor, will also handle you as an undercover agent. This should be fun!"

Whi-Two's face did not change.

No, she doesn't think so.

Inspector Lailani beams as she lets go, and peers through her glasses the empty screen of Whi-Two's laptop and the backpack that lay innocently beside it.

"Well, shall we continue this as we go?" she suggests, stepping forward to help Whi-Two gather her things.

"Inspector Lack-Two does not like being kept waiting."

-…-

"So, first day in the big leagues and already assigned as 'Mister Perfect's' mentee? Yikes."

Lailani turns to the girl, sees her horrified face, and immediately changes her tone to something more cheerful.

"I-I mean…! That's actually pretty advantageous on your part! Nate's really one of our best! Superintendent himself trained him!" Then she gives her an apologetic smile.

"Though, I'd be lying if I say it's all carnival-rides from here on end… Being Nate's mentee is good, but it's going to hurt. Really bad." She chuckles to herself as she continues rummaging through the pile of plastic-wrapped uniforms in front of her.

"He didn't get the title 'Mister Perfect' just because everything he does in life is perfect."

Whi-Two watches as Lailani pulls out one set, tears it open, and puts the shirt over Whi-Two's frame.

"Size small," she mutters, and breathily adds as she pulls the shirt closer to her to reveal Whi-Two's frame again: "Dream body…"

The young detective felt the urge to cover her body somehow.

"Hold on, let me just take note for inventory," Lailani says as she bends down and grab a clipboard. Whi-Two takes that moment to finally speak.

"Nate…?" she mouths with uncertainty.

Lai stops writing for a second to give her an apologetic smile.

"Oh, that's Inspector Lack-Two's real name," she explains, going back to her clipboard. "Nate Alart—we're from the same batch back at the Academy, you see."

"Ah," Whi-Two breathes. Of course. It was common UPD procedures for undercover cover agents to have a codename. And Lack-Two, naturally, as the man in charge of the specialized unit, has his own.

The girl actually shudders at the thought of working for such a man.

"What about you, Detective?" Lailani asks as she hands her the set. Whi-Two stares at it momentarily before returning her gaze to Lailani, a confused look in her eyes.

"Can I ask for your real name?" Lailani clarifies with an apologetic giggle.

"Oh, uh… It's Rosa." She shifts a little awkwardly as she pulls out the shirt and puts down the rest of the set over one stack.

"Rosa Bilden."

"Rosa," Lai repeats, letting the syllables roll over her tongue one by one. Then she smiles. "That's a pretty name! Do you mind if I call you by that name from now on?"

Whi-Two smiles a little.

"E-Er… I guess not?"

To that, Lai laughs.

"Ah, forgive me," she says. "I just can't help but be friendly. We barely get female recruits here in the main division. And you know how it is in jobs like these—girls need to stick together. I hope it doesn't bother you."

"No, not really," Whi-Two assures her, finally finding the motivation to smile. "I would actually love having someone friendly for a change. Especially if she will be one of my commanding officers from now on."

Lai nods and smiles as she reaches out for the other girl's shoulders.

"I understand how hard all of these are for you, but let me assure you, Rosa—you'll get used to it in no time."

 _I sure do hope so_ , she inwardly sighs, holding up the shirt in front of her to get a better view. "Nimbasa Division" it said in bold, blue letters, and somehow, the name makes Whi-Two's stomach sink.

It had the same color, the same design, the same initials of the Unova Police Department printed at the back as that of her former training shirt, except that the name "Aspertia" was replaced by "Nimbasa".

Whi-Two sighs. This will take a _lot_ of getting used to. She might as well begin now.

Lailani tips her head a little to get her attention.

"Do you need help in anything else, Rosa?" she asks. Whi-Two snaps out of her deep thought and looks at her.

"N-No, thank you," she politely refuses. "I-I think I can manage from here, thank you."

Lailani beams. "That's good to hear! Oh, by the way, in case you don't know how to get to the Combat Training Hall… We actually passed by it on our way here. You just walk down the hallway, and…"

"Turn two lefts, and proceed until you reach a double-doored room, somewhere to the right," Whi-Two mutters. Lai looks at her incredulously, but she shakes it off easily.

Nice.

"This should be very interesting," she says with a glint of respect in her eyes.

Whi-Two nods politely.

"I'm going to get changed now," she announces, both as a form of excuse and a reason to get away from people.

"Wouldn't want to keep Inspector Lack-Two waiting now, would I?" she even hesitatingly adds.

-…-

Whi-Two reaches Lack-Two standing in the middle of a wide room, looking impatiently at his watch. Deep inside, the girl feared she made him wait for too long.

She gives a quick glance at her watch, feels a bit relieved, and silently treads the cushioned flooring to where her new superior was waiting, and she was greeted—not surprisingly—with an impatient scowl.

"I-Inspector," she salutes, standing stiffly.

The boy eyes her intently from head-to-foot, and then back, before nodding in acknowledgement.

"Three minutes early," he announces, giving his watch one last glance. "Not bad. I'm expecting this punctuality remains for the rest of your stay here?"

"Affirmative, sir."

"Good." He begins peeling off his jacket as he continued. Whi-Two is taken aback.

"In case the system here is not the same as yours back in Aspertia, when our officers are promoted a rank up, they undergo a ceremony along with other officers promoted as well. It happens every first Monday of the month, during the flag ceremony." He gives her a look as he pulls his jacket away from his arm and throws it to the side.

"That's at least a week from now."

"That it is indeed, Sir."

"But even then, that's just for formality, as you are probably aware. Though you are not yet _formally_ a Detective in uniform, you are already one in paper and in the eyes of the board as well."

Whi-Two watches his well-toned arm muscles flex as he performs a few basic stretches, thinking to herself that these were the same arms she was tracing during her last undercover mission.

It made her shudder somehow. This man could've snapped her neck had it been a more different scenario.

"…Which is why it's better to start your training as early as today."

"Sir?" she clarifies. Lack-Two gives her a scowl of disapproval, annoyed at how she always seems to be lost in thought. The inspector makes a mental note of putting that in her evaluation report.

Then he sighs as he faces her.

"I've read through your files sent to us by your former division, and I've learned that you have an average evaluation score of 8.5 over ten in combat." He peers over her through his bangs. "Is that true?"

"Affirmative, Sir," Whi-Two replies without thinking. She instantly regrets it when an elbow comes crashing towards her direction. It takes her a second to understand what's happening, but only a split second for her body to react. Her hand shoots up and catches Lack-Two's elbow in midair, and before thinking, she strikes her free elbow to Lack-Two's chin. The boy catches that attack, pulls it down, lets it go, grabs her face, and pushes her down.

Whi-Two falls flat on her back with a loud thud.

"Reflexes are quick, although reaction time is simply satisfactory," Lack-Two comments as he dusts off his shirt.

Whi-Two gives off a grunt as she bends back her right knee, and kicks Lack-Two's shin, sending him walking back. She takes the opportunity to push herself up, and back away for good measure.

She keeps a defensive stance as she waits for Lack-Two's next move. But the boy just watches her.

"Recovery is remarkably quick," he mutters, bending forward and resting his hands and his weight on both his knees. He smiles. "Not bad."

Whi-Two clenches her fist as she makes the gap between her forearms smaller.

"Solid defense," Lack-Two remarks, and then looks down. "Although stance could use some modifications."

He then straightens himself, and puts his hands on his waist.

"Now, show me your offensive capabilities," he calls to her. Whi-Two's eyes widen a bit, but she takes on an offensive stance as Lack-Two takes on a defensive one.

"Don't hold back," he says, and Whi-Two nods. She exhales abruptly, and ran towards where Lack-Two was standing. She spins on her heel, and performs a spinning axe kick, to which Lack-Two easily counters, grabbing her foot as it was about to hit his nose. Whi-Two recovers quickly, and twists to the right, catching her weight using her two hands. Her other leg comes flying towards Lack-Two at the power of her swing, but Lack-Two grabs the other leg as well, spins her in midair, and drops her to the ground.

Again, Whi-Two falls with a heavy thud.

"Focuses only on one part of the enemy," Lack-Two drawls disdainfully, both his hands still wrapped around Whi-two's ankles. "That's poor judgment."

Whi-Two frowns as she fought Lack-Two's grip and kicked forward. Lack-Two barely gets hit, but the girl takes advantage of the momentum to pull her weight up, letting her back on her feet. She then follows with a punch to Lack-Two's gut. The boy grabs it, pulls her in, and sends his knee to her upper abdomen. Then he wrings his arms around her waist from behind, carries her upside-down for a moment and half-heartedly drops her, head first, to the ground.

The girl simply allows herself to fall this time, feeling weary.

"Anything else you'd want to try against me?" he asks, crouching next to her. The girl hiccups a little before answering.

"N-None, Sir…" she replied in a hoarse voice.

Lack-Two frowns.

"Stand up, and tell me where the 8.5 was in that disgusting performance," he orders, standing up and walking away to give her space. Whi-Two begrudgingly rolled on her front, and used her remaining ounce of strength to push herself up.

"Combat training doesn't mean just hand-to-hand combat, for crying out loud…" she mumbles as she did.

"Excuse me?" Lack-Two asks sternly. Whi-Two winces.

"N-Nothing, Sir."

"I heard you speaking, Detective," he points out. "Tell me what that was."

Whi-Two kept mum as she only focuses on pushing herself back up without throwing up. Her superior just hit a critical spot.

"That's an order, Detective," Lack-Two presses. Whi-Two sighs.

 _Talk about butthurt_ , she thought disdainfully.

"Sir," she begins, wheezing. "With all due respect… that point average… did not just come from… hand-to-hand combat… Honestly speaking, Sir… I suck in those aspects… It is… not my specialty…" She lets out a heavy breath.

"Good Lord, Jesus Christ!" she swears.

"What is it, then?"

"Sir?"

"Your _specialty_ ," Lack-Two clarifies impatiently. "What is it?"

Whi-Two presses her lips as she looks him in the eye.

"Guns, Sir," she says.

"Guns?"

"Affirmative, Sir."

Lack-Two thinks for a moment, and then nods.

"Very well," he says, reaching behind him. He fishes out a handgun, empties out the magazine save for one bullet, and then returns it. He then pulls back the barrel, hears a click, and then hands it to Whi-Two.

The girl just stares at it, unsure.

"Take it," Lack-Two prods her. "You're supposed to be good at guns, right? Take it, and prove it to me."

Whi-Two shakily takes the gun off of his hands, but only to stare at it momentarily. Then she returns her gaze to him.

"Okay," her senior begins, spreading his arms wide.

"Shoot me."

Whi-Two's eyes widened.

"Sir?!"

Lack-Two's eyes narrowed.

"That's an order," he barks at her. "Try your best to make the most off of that lone bullet. Make sure that I _die_."

"S-Sir, I can't…"

"That was an order, not a suggestion, Detective," he snaps. "You say you're good with guns, right? Prove it to me. Shoot me."

"B-But, Sir…"

"Pull. The. Trigger."

"Sir…"

" _PULL THE TRIGGER, WHI-TWO!_ "

 _ **BANG!**_

Whi-Two tremblingly opens up her eyes to see the damage, and sees that she had missed hopelessly by a long shot. She finds that Lack-Two barely moved at all, except for his scowl, which grew even worse as he looked her down.

"Sir…?"

Instead of replying, he grips the gun and redirects it, pulling it down to her hips. Then he grips it with his other hand as well, twists up, hurting Whi-Two's index finger as it was still stuck on the trigger, yanks it away, and pushes her down to the ground again, aiming the gun at her as she falls.

Whi-Two gives out a groan as she falls for the fourth time.

Lack-Two stares at her for a moment before giving out a sigh as he throws the gun near her.

"What do you know?" he remarks. "First time in my life to find out that numbers can, indeed, lie… Although to actually learn that fact from this so-called 'reliable' rookie." He folds his arms behind him.

"You aren't given a gun just so you could rely on it to be good. The gun is given to you so that _it_ can rely on _you_ because you're supposedly good. What if there comes a time that a gun is deemed useless? _You_ become useless as well."

He gives her one last look before turning and walking away.

"If you can't even hold me down, or at the very least, wound me, then I suggest you start packing and leave. We don't need a weakling here in our ranks…"

Whi-Two listens to his footsteps as he walked away, estimating his speed and his possible distance from where she lay.

She then reaches for the gun, now guaranteed to be empty. Tremblingly, she raises her free hand to where it was, and with a small amount of strength, she cocks it. Lack-Two hears it, and abruptly turns, and Whi-Two takes advantage of his slow reaction time to roll over, get back on her feet, and charge.

Lack-Two tries to answer off with a few punches and kicks, but Whi-Two easily responds with her fast reflexes, and she succeeds in pinning him down to the ground. When she's restrained him well with her arm and knees, she points the gun to his forehead, and abruptly pulls the trigger.

There was a click, but no bullets come forth.

Lack-Two could feel Whi-Two pant to his face.

"I am never, _ever_ left with only one bullet unless I'm sure the enemy can never fight back. That is a guarantee…" she growls at him. The superior raises his gaze to where the gun was pointed, and then to Whi-Two's eyes. The once timid-looking blue orbs were now teeming with rage. He watches her irises tremble as she begins tearing up, feeling slightly fascinated.

It was the first time he's seen anything like it.

"With all due respect, Sir," Whi-Two hisses. "I respect your orders as my new superior, but _never_ make me point a loaded gun at you again…" She raises the gun away from his forehead and frees him from her restrain, although she remains on top of him.

"Save it for the time when I really do need to kill you…"

Lack-Two remains unperturbed, and just stares deeply into her eyes. Then he smiles.

"This is the first time I've ever noticed that your eyes have that rare shade of blue," he comments in a silvery voice. Whi-Two was completely stunned.

Lack-Two smiles even more.

"You know what? Had the circumstances been a little different, this could have been the position they would've found us in last night…"

"W-What?!" Whi-Two blushed furiously. Lack-Two seized that moment to push, roll over, and put her under him. Whi-Two could only stare back, looking terrified.

 _Her eyes changed again_ , he thinks to himself.

"Putting the guard down during crucial moments, and for trivial reasons at that," he condescended. "Honestly…"

Lack-Two gives out a sigh as he pushes himself up to his feet, leaving her to double over in pain and whimper softly to herself. He didn't say anything else.

He just eyes her down from head to foot and then back before clearing his throat and walking away.

"You're dismissed."

-…-

"…And most of all, she cries in the most conspicuous of times," Lack-Two went on, his voice gradually rising again. Superintendent Aldin could only nod in response.

"So, are you saying that Detective Whi-Two is incompetent?" he asks.

Lack-Two readily opens his mouth to the affirmative, but thinks twice, and closes it again with a sigh.

"No, Sir," he replies, looking down. "In fairness to Detective Whi-Two, she actually lives up to the numbers indicated in her records. Plus the way she adapts is unmistakably remarkable."

He catches his Superintendent looking at him knowingly, making him suddenly change his course.

"…B-But with what she had displayed a while ago, they become merely numbers to me. If she's going to stay here, she might as well be in top shape, no matter the situation. Today being her first day mustn't be a hindrance for her to giving her 100% in everything that she does." He gives out a breath as he leans a bit forward. "Especially in combat…"

The old man eyes Lack-Two for a moment, before giving a nod.

"So, what are you saying, Inspector?"

Lack-Two bites his lips as he looks back at his former mentor.

"All I'm saying, Sir, is that Detective Rosa Bilden, codename: Whi-Two, is indeed an outstanding police officer. I'll be lying if I say that she does not deserve her title as the 'Reliable Rookie' from her old division. Her potential is massive, Sir—probably one of the most promising recruits I've ever seen." His eyes fell on the Whi-Two's profile sitting silently on the Superintendent's desk.

"But, I don't think I'm the right person to make the most of that potential. We simply don't mix."

"So you doubt _your own_ skills of upbringing… Is that it?"

Lack-Two eyes Aldin incredulously.

"Sir, I never…"

The old man laughs.

"I expected a reaction as such from you, Inspector. But I didn't place Detective Whi-Two under your wing just so you could hone her and mold her into something you want, or even someone like you. I doubt Whi-Two's personality will ever allow her to."

"Yes, I know that, Sir, but…"

"Instead, I placed her under your care because not only do I think she has the capacity to have the same credentials as you one day, but also because I think you could learn a thing or two from _her_. Plus, I believe the two of you complement each other very well…"

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Aldin smiles at him good-naturedly, although there was a tinge of sadness in his eyes as he stares upon his former mentee.

"She'd make a good Inspector one day, don't you think?"

Lack-Two immediately understood. He tries to open his mouth as a reply, but something inside him jerks him back to silence.

Sensitive topic. He'd rather not.

"Besides," Aldin continues. "I don't think these so-called 'flaws' you said she had are purely disadvantageous." He lifts up the report Lack-Two had prepared, and scans through it again.

"Bold… Rash… Always lost in thought… Emotional…" Aldin laughs to himself as he looks back at Lack-Two.

"Sounds like someone you know?"

Lack-Two finds himself blushing slightly as he looks away. His superintendent chuckles to himself.

"I think these traits can be useful if guided accordingly by someone who understands," the Superintendent continues. "I mean, look at where _you_ are."

Lack-Two exhales silently before looking back at his former mentor.

"I was never emotional, Sir…"

"And that makes Detective Whi-Two even more interesting."

The boy snorts.

"Being in touch with your emotions isn't really a flaw, Inspector. It helps in getting through this line of work, seeing that emotions help you be even clearer with your values. It makes it easier for you to make the right decisions."

"I thought the rightness and wrongness of things are just an illusion, Sir?"

Superintendent Aldin smiles.

"Illusions can be real sometimes, Inspector."

Lack-Two, for once, was out of things to say. He just simply stares at his former mentor as the latter reads through his report one more time.

Then Aldin speaks again.

"But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, Inspector," he says, putting down the report finally. "Are you firm on your decision in letting Whi-Two go?"

Silence.

"Or are you willing to take her out for a test run?"

Lack-Two's head turns to his superior abruptly.

"Sir?"

Aldin chuckles as he pulls out yet another folder, and then slides it across the table to Lack-Two's side. The boy picks it up and reads through it.

"Another undercover job, sir?" he asks, looking back at Aldin.

"Indeed. Something of your specialty. And something Detective Whi-Two should be able to do. You two are perfect for the job."

Lack-Two leafed through the pages, tracking every bit of information he can get his eyes on.

"Basically, you want us to find this Joven Dailo fellow and tail him down all the way to their hideout…?"

Aldin nods. Lack-Two closes the file and places it back on the table.

"Seems easy enough, Sir," he says as he pulls out his phone and begins typing down notes. "Although I see no significance for Whi-Two's presence. With all due respect, Sir, this is something I can do by myself." The image of Whi-Two's eyes from earlier flashes through his mind, and it makes him wince somehow.

Of all the things to be disturbed about Whi-Two, it's the way her eyes changes expression so easily. It's like a calm, serene lake at one point, and then a raging ocean at another.

How could he get used to something like that?

"Joven Dailo is one of the _very few_ identified couriers of the notorious 'Love Drug', an illegal sex-drive enhancer popular among young couples. Because of the shipping ban imposed upon all foreign products, including law-approved aphrodisiacs, this became the new fadfor said audiences." Aldin intertwines his fingers under his chin.

"As per the nature of the product, the selling of it must be done in concealment. What couriers like Dailo would do is frequent parks and restaurants where many couples roam. This is where he delivers their products, and meets potential buyers."

Lack-Two's eyes remain on his superior. Aldin smiles good-naturedly.

"I believe a single person hanging out in a park swarming with lovers would stick out like a sore thumb, wouldn't you think so, Inspector?"

Again, Lack-Two exhales deeply.

"Of course, Sir."

-…-

"Inspector Lai…"

The blonde jolts from the desk she was leaning on, and turns abruptly to give Lack-Two a salute.

"Sir," she greets, trying her best to stay awfully still despite her glasses almost sliding off of her nose. Lack-Two raises a brow at her.

"This isn't your desk, Lai," he points out. "What're you…?"

His gaze falls down and Whi-Two sitting behind said desk, her face slammed against it, frozen.

Lailani immediately blocks his view with her body.

"You needed something, Nate?"

But Lack-Two is already annoyed as hell.

" _Is she sleeping?!_ " he barks at her, clenching the folder he held in his hand. Lack-Two can tolerate many things to an extent, but sleeping on the job was one of his biggest no-no's. And the perpetrator has to be someone he's already boiling with anger for.

He was about to approach her when Lailani tries to stop him again with her small but rather chubby body in hope of covering the poor brunette.

"No!" she almost cries, earning them the curious stares from the other policemen working on their respective desks. Lack-Two gives them each a dangerous look, and everyone immediately drops their head in fear.

"She's not, Nate! She's not!"

Lack-Two returns his gaze to her for a moment, and then gestures at Whi-Two with his file.

 _Then what the fuck do you call that?!_

Lailani suddenly shrinks a bit.

"She's…" She frantically tries to find the words to explain, but her own vocabulary fails her, so she uses the first thing she could think of.

"…In pain, Sir."

"In pain?" Lack-Two repeats in a higher tone, feeling and looking more and more impatient. "What does that even mean, Inspector?"

Lailani groans as she rolls her eyes. _Men_ , she thinks distastefully. Then she throws caution to the wind and walks up to him, gestures him to lower himself, and whispers to his ear.

The SUU Inspector's face gradually changes as he listens to Lailani's explanation. His anger decreases a little, though there is still a slight hint of annoyance in his voice when he straightens himself again to give his colleague a deadpan look.

"You could've said _that_ the moment I asked, Lai," he mutters, softer this time. He rolls his eyes as he walks past her. This time, Lailani concedes.

"Well, it's not really something you'd say out loud in a room filled with mostly men," she reasons with a sigh. "We girls don't really appreciate that."

"Besides," Lack-Two adds, looking down on the girl, listening to her low moans of pain.

"She seemed awfully well during combat training…"

"Which is why you should be more impressed… Not everyday you find a girl who can suck it in and move around, and even go neck and neck with an insane powerhouse like you, even if it _was_ her first day. I mean, imagine all that blood…"

Lack-Two returns with an expressionless look.

"Too much information," he says. Lailani raises her hand in apathy. She turns and walks back to her desk, knowing that she had no business there anymore, seeing that Lack-Two was informed well.

As soon as Lailani was gone, Lack-Two raises the folder up, and then he clears his throat.

"DETECTIVE!" he yells, slamming the folder on Whi-Two's desk. The girl's head flies up, her face pale and sweaty from the pain. She sharply intakes a breath.

"The gun was found on the upper left corner of the wife's shelves, Colonel!" she recites breathlessly. "Ruger SR1191, .45 ACP, reddish to brown handle, exactly three bullets left in the magazine, showed signs of the trigger having been pulled at least an hour before discovery!" The new Detective takes another sharp intake of breath as her eyes dart back and forth, trying to remember where she was and what she was doing. She recognizes Lack-Two watching her with a wry expression, and she was about to give her salute when another period of pain shoots through her abdomen, pulling her to double over again.

"Good Lord, Jesus Christ…" she groans as she clutches on her abdomen. She presses her forehead hard on her desk as she waited for the pain to subside. When it did, she tries to raise her face up to recognize the folder now sitting idly in front of her.

Then she looks up at Lack-Two.

"Sir," she greets between heaps of heavy breaths.

Lack-Two simply ignores her ridiculous show and proceeds to his orders.

"I want you to read through that and study it thoroughly by tomorrow morning. Also expect additional details from me through e-mail later tonight. Study them as well."

Whi-Two gives out a low moan as she drops her face again.

"Sir. Yes, Sir."

"Meet me at Nimbasa Park tomorrow at exactly 4:30 in the afternoon. Do not even think about being late."

"Sir. Yes, Sir."

"And, Detective…"

Whi-Two raises her face up to him again.

"Do us both a favor and get yourself to the infirmary, stat."

 **-Mission_2 Status: Accomplished-**

" _ **The Unova Police Department, commonly referred to as the UPD, is the official police department governing the region of Unova. They are divided into twenty Divisions, representing the twenty cities that comprises the aforementioned region, with the Nimbasa Division housing its main office." —**_ **Excerpt from the UPD Trooper's Manual, Introduction.**


	3. Mission3

Mission_3: Detailed Evidences

Whi-Two finds her superior leaning against one the facades of the park's gates, eyeing his watch impatiently. She stops for a moment, finds a nearby post, hides behind it, peers out, and shortly assesses for herself if it was safe for her to approach.

Slow tapping of the front part of the right foot, other hand tucked in his pocket, shoulders not as stiff as always… Adding the fact that he was wearing plain jeans, a white shirt doubled with an obviously old, blue jacket, he seemed like any other normal person waiting for his companion.

A companion who's arguably a tiny bit late…

Whi-Two gulps as she tremblingly shows herself, just in time for her superior to look her way.

She notes that he didn't look very pleased.

"You're late," he declares monotonously as she makes her way through the slightly busy street, to where he was. "I said 4:30, sharp. It's already a quarter to five."

Whi-Two shrinks for a moment before speaking.

"S-Sorry, Sir," she whispers. "I tried to come as early as possible, and I was already on my way when you suddenly sent me that message that I shouldn't wear my uniform… So, I had to go back."

Lack-Two raises an eyebrow at her.

"I thought that was self-explanatory considering the file explicitly says that this is Code 13…" He crosses his arms over his chest and gives out an annoyed sigh.

"You _did_ read the file, right?"

 _Oh, you mean the one you slammed on my desk last night with no form of explanations whatsoever?_ She thinks to herself with disdain, inwardly scorning at him if she wasn't so afraid of getting another beating from him come their next combat training.

Being thrown to the floor three times is actually more than enough to last her through her whole career as a policeman.

In the end, an almost inaudible, "Yes, Sir…", was all she could muster as a reply.

She was half-expecting Lack-Two to reiterate himself by shouting again, but, surprisingly, he just nods it all away.

Probably trying to be as civil as possible, she thinks. But, of course.

Who'd want to be seen around in society barking around at somebody else? Now, Whi-Two's quite thankful that this is a fieldwork. She has the eyes of the public as her savior.

"Then I take it you're well-oriented of the case?" Lack-Two asks.

"More or less, Sir…" she replies.

Lack-Two takes another good look at her, and tries to take in the way she looks. He lets his deadpan eyes scan through her body from head to toe and then back again. Whi-Two feels a bit conscious, and felt the need to shrink her body a bit.

She suddenly felt so bare somehow. He just had that kind of gaze.

Lack-Two takes a deep breath.

"Armani Code," he mutters as he takes a moment to check his phone. He raises his eyebrows as he taps the screen along with his thumb.

"Nice choice."

The girl's eyes widen as she looks up at him.

"Sir?" she asks. _Did he just smell me?_

Lack-Two sends her a nonchalant gaze before returning it to his phone.

"Am I wrong?" he asks.

"U-Uhm…"

There was a beep from his phone. A tap. He reads through it for a moment. Then he sighs as he put it down.

And then he faces her.

"Might as well ask your questions now before we proceed." He tucks his phone back to his pocket. "Because the moment we step through those gates and make contact with the suspect, our mission begins."

Whi-Two shakes herself off of dreamland to acknowledge what Lack-Two had just said. She blinks for a few moments before speaking.

"A-Actually, I do have one, Sir…"

"Yes?"

Whi-Two gestures for him to give her a moment as she fishes out her phone and opens the notes she also took down last night as she read through the files.

"It says here that we are only to follow Joven Dailo up to their headquarters, and get as much information as we could… Is that it, Sir?"

Lack-Two nods, his eyes still on Whi-Two. "That is correct."

"Then… Is Joven Dailo really that dangerous to require the two of us to pursue him?"

Lack-Two blinks for a moment to understand what she meant. And it hits him quietly but quickly.

She was basically asking him the same thing he asked Superintendent Aldin yesterday. Which means he has to explain the concept to her the very same way Aldin did.

The young Inspector inwardly groans as he rolls his eyes in resentment. Whi-Two chose to treat it like she just imagined it.

"The number of officers in charge of this case is not for the purpose of subduing Dailo and arresting him—unfortunately, we can't do that just yet as we only have accusations and no solid evidence against said party. Instead, we need the two of us so as to not arouse suspicion from the setting…" He makes it a point to land his gaze to the park, and Whi-Two unconsciously follows.

Nimbasa Park was swarming with couples. Whi-Two immediately understands.

"W-Wait…" Her eyes widens as she makes it a point to throw her gaze back at her superior.

"You mean…?"

"When in Rome," Lack-Two shrugs. He puts away his phone, straightens his jacket, and draws one long, deep breath. Then he holds out his hand for her—it wasn't as lavish as to draw enough attention, but he gestures for her so eloquently he made it seem like he's done this before, and far too many times.

She wouldn't be so surprised if that was true.

"Is that all you want to ask?"

Whi-Two just eyes his hand for a minute, remembering that it was exactly the same hand that caused her Hell's worth of body pain last night. Also the same hand that will sign her Letter of Termination if she doesn't pull herself together.

 _It's just holding hands,_ she tries to bravely convince herself. _You've done far worse with him back at that Strip Club. You can do this, girl. Just be brave, and take his hand, and…_

"Oh for the love of…" Lack-Two's hand shoots forward, grabs her hand and pulls her a little harshly to his side. But even with what little force he exerted, she still managed to stumble forward and almost fall if it weren't for the firmness of his hold.

"Careful," the boy lowly growls, almost in annoyance. "If you fall now, I'm just going to walk away and pretend I didn't see you. Pull yourself together, Detective."

Whi-Two nods, softly whimpering.

 _Why me?_

There was an awkward intermingling of their fingers as Lack-Two gives his final reminders—to which Whi-Two only half-listened as she was too busy trying to find a comfortable and less awkward spot for her fingers between Lack-Two's long and rough-skinned ones. The latter didn't seem to mind, let alone notice the way her hands were sweating, and just continued speaking.

Whi-Two dreaded for how long she was to endure this, but she realized that it was not for long as they start walking.

For it was only then that Lack-Two made an effort to arrange the way his fingers enclosed hers, and Whi-Two could feel her hand ease up as he cradled it very well, like holding hands was something he does on a daily basis.

Like his hands were made for such purposes and nothing else.

Whi-Two just stares up at Lack-Two as she tries her best to keep up with him, letting him guide her through the beige-colored pavement road on their way to the center of the park.

She couldn't believe that the hand she was holding now is the same hand that pinned her down and threw her around just yesterday.

The two walk in silence for a few minutes, Whi-Two purposefully walking a few paces behind him, her eyes focused on anything else but his direction. Lack-Two throws her a short glance, sighs in exasperation, and pulls her a bit roughly to his side. Again, the girl stumbles towards him.

"S-Sorry, Sir," she mumbles, adjusting her pace again to try and keep up with his—something that wasn't much of a chore given they both have long legs. Lack-Two again throws her another glance, thinks for a moment, and then sighs.

"You seem perplexed."

Whi-Two looks up at him in surprise, thrown off by his almost concerned tone.

"Uhm… Well…"

Again, Lack-Two gives her a look—a sidelong glance that didn't last as long Whi-Two would have hoped for to say this was common conversation. Still, it didn't fail to make her feel suspicious.

"Pacing too fast for you, Detective?"

Whi-Two saw a glimmer of hope.

"Y-Yes, actually…"

"...Well, get used to it."

...And the glimmer of hope immediately died.

The commanding officer sighs.

"In case you're not informed, being in the main division means you're a large number of steps closer to everything that has made Unova what it is right now. Call it a more direct contact to what they tell the kids to call 'villains', if you must. Drug dealers... Syndicates… Terrorists… Urban legends... You name it, we have encountered and will encounter it." He pauses for a moment to check his phone, and then continues.

"And since the country is in a period of restoration after those two years of living in chaos, missions are opened here and there. Neophytes like you have no choice but to hit the ground running."

Whi-Two gives him a look.

"Thank you, Sir," she says monotonously, and then, even after thinking against it, adds:

"But I already know that."

"Good," Lack-Two returns, pulling her again harshly. This time, Whi-Two was able to control her balance.

"Now, please start acting like you do."

Whi-Two exhales in exasperation, scorning at him when she was sure that he wasn't looking at her. Then she opens her mouth again.

She knows she's going downhill from now by having him as her officer and mentor, might as well go down fighting.

"With all due respect, Sir," she begins again, ignoring the evident rolling of the high-ranker's eyes. "I understand that hitting the ground running is essential to a job as crucial as ours, but, at least for _this_ case, it would be a lot easier for the both of us if you could tell me a tiny bit more about this mission…"

 _Aside from just throwing files at me through email…_

Lack-Two gives her a stern look, albeit bordering on exhaustion rather than exasperation. It was only then that Whi-Two notes the faint, dark circles underneath his eyes.

"I already asked you to ask me questions _before_ we began…"

Whi-Two sneers at him. _I don't think asking you what the heck is happening is good practice._

Lack-Two could only sigh.

They reach an almost empty bench at the middle part of the park. He gestures for it with an unimpressive stance. Still Whi-Two takes it as a friendly gesture.

"If you must know," he begins, lowering himself a good inches away from her. "We're undercover as potential customers for Dailo. I made contact with him through phone this morning. We'll be meeting with him in…" He looks at his watch.

"...Just a few minutes."

"We're meeting up with him?!" Whi-Two cries, much to Lack-Two's chagrin. "How come I didn't know that?!"

The look in her superior's reddish-brown eyes made her shrink in immediate fear.

"...S-Sir…"

"Because I take it that you don't need to know that," he replies, his voice rising though still stable and civil. "Look, Whi-Two, if you want to survive in _my_ unit, you need to learn to adapt and go with the flow, and that includes moving efficiently despite being provided insufficient information. Not everything in this line of work will be handed to you on a silver platter. You need to learn how to make do with what you have, or find the answers yourself."

He takes a sharp intake of breath.

"But I'm pretty sure you already know that…" He gives her a look of disdain, much to Whi-Two's frustration.

"...'Reliable Rookie'."

Whi-Two was about to fight back when Lack-Two's finger suddenly flies to her lips, keeping them shut. Then, before she could react, the inspector nears his face to her, closing whatever space he left that Whi-Two had greatly appreciated.

"Hush," he whispers, almost tenderly. It made the girl want to literally hit the ground running.

 _What on earth…?_

Lack-Two smiles, the same playful smile that he wore when they first met—the same one that keeps sending chills down her spine whenever she sees it.

 _What. On. Earth…?!_

"...If you keep on making this lips too much, I might lock them shut with mine…"

Whi-Two's scared eyes shifted frantically from side the side.

"Inspector…?" she says in a muffled voice.

Instead of answering, Lack-Two proceeds to nearing his face to hers. Whi-Two was about to scream when he narrowly misses her face and proceeds instead to nearing his lips to her ears.

"He's here," he whispers. "Don't look."

Not knowing what else to say or do, she just nods.

Lack-Two slowly moves his face to her line of sight.

"I'm going to initiate contact with the target. You stand your ground until I give a signal. We will begin pursuit in a short while."

Then, Lack-Two once again smiles.

"Are we clear, Detective?"

The girl, still with nothing to say, just nods.

"Good," he says in his silvery voice. Then he gives a wink.

"Don't mess this up."

-...-

The man in the gray hat looks around suspiciously before allowing himself to gain eye contact with the young man in the blue jacket. He gives him a good look, from the way he walked to the way he smiled all enthusiastically at him as he almost skipped to where he was.

Doesn't seem like the suspicious type, albeit he can tell his enthusiastic stance may cause him problems.

The last thing he'd need is a chatty brat spraying more than he's paying.

He checks his phone one last time before straightening himself from the tree he was leaning on to. The boy greets him with a wave.

"You're Dailo?" the boy asks, his voice a little too loud for anyone to even appreciate. Joven Dailo had to wince a bit before responding.

"That depends," he replies. "Who's asking?"

The boy gives him a look of confusion, but immediately puts two and two together, and shows him his phone, which contained the thread of their exchange of emails. Joven glances through it before nodding.

"Are you Nate?" he asks for good measure, looking from side to side to make sure no one's overhearing them.

"Yup," the boy replies in an almost irritating, chirpy voice. He reaches his hand out to him, which the latter ignores.

"Nate Alart. Pleased to finally see you in person." He gives Joven a quick glance from head-to-toe. "You are as shady as they say you are."

"Yeah, yeah…" The older man looks beyond him for a moment, to the almost empty bench in the middle of the part, where a fairly tall brunette sat, looking around, a dazed look in her eyes.

"That your lady?"

Nate raises his brows and follows the older's gaze.

"Oh. Yeah, that's Rosa." He returns his gaze to him. "Pretty cute, huh?"

Joven just looks at him. Then he shakes his head.

"You two seem to be in a heated argument just a few moments ago," he points out, to which Nate responds with an exasperated sigh.

"Aw, tell me about it!" he stressed, rolling his eyes. "She's been like that ever since I told her about this offer I got studying overseas. You'd think your long-term girlfriend would at _least_ be happy for you, but _noooooo_. She has to inevitably think I'm off to Kalos to go find someone new. As if I'm gonna go through all that process and trouble dealing with snooty people from the Embassy _just_ to pick up girls. Honestly…"

Joven gives him a deadpan look.

"...I didn't ask an essay-type question, son."

Nate just smiles sheepishly.

"You have the money?"

The boy reaches for his jacket's pocket, and pulls out a thick stick of rolled-up bills. Jevon takes it, examines it for a bit, and then nods. He then gives another round of glances around their immediate vicinity. Then he returns to Nate while reaching for his shoes. Nate watches as the guy takes off one shoe, pulls on its outer sole until the shoe is pried open, and pulls out a small bag filled with pinkish-colored powder.

He hands it to him. The boy looks at it with slight disgust.

"...This is supposed to be mixed with her drink…?"

Jevon looks at him again with a deadpan expression.

"Yeah, that's right. Make sure you don't overdose, or you _will_ lose her regardless of whether you study overseas or not. Be careful."

"...But it came from your _feet_!"

Jevon's eyes narrowed. "Son, I don't have time to joke around with you."

Nate sighs as he takes the bag from the older's hand. He gives it a long look before returning to Jevon, who was putting his shoe back together and back to his feet.

"...And if this doesn't work?"

To his surprise, Jevon laughs.

"Have you _seen_ the news lately? It's like love erotic paradise out there! Couples found sprawled naked in allies… Rapid decline in domestic abuse… Divorcees coming back together days—even _minutes_ —after they broke up… We provide results."

Nate's brows converge, but he smiles nonetheless.

"Always thought it was because it was February…"

Jevon snorts. "Get your head out of your ass, son."

Nate just shrugs, stuffing the drug deep in his pocket. Jevon does the same with the money.

"...Now, I don't want you forgetting about the rest of the deal, son."

"Yeah, yeah," the younger cuts him. "No telling on you or else I'll be in big trouble yadah yadah... Hey." The corner of his lips turn up even more, letting his teeth show.

"You'd do anything for love, huh?"

Jevon just looks at him. Then he turns on his heel and starts walking away.

"This conversation never happened. I don't exist."

Nate just nods. He watched Jevon disappear into the crowd of couples walking around. Then he turns to where his 'girlfriend' was, now already directing her attention to where he was standing. The two lock eyes for a short moment before Nate moves his eyes to the direction where Jevon went.

Then he gives her a nod.

 _Begin pursuit._

-...-

The two officers follow Dailo all the way to the outskirts of the city, to a place where Whi-Two was no longer familiar with. She still nonetheless vigilantly follows her superior's movements—stopping when he does, and moving as he does.

Lack-Two would only throw her one or two short glances every now and then to make sure she was keeping up, but all the while, his eyes were glued to their target's back.

Dailo was leading them farther and farther from the park and into a place unknown, and the less people surround them as they go, the more he feels the need for more backup. While he was certain that he didn't throw away anything that can yield suspicion, he acknowledges that Dailo was not someone he knew well.

They could be treading treacherous grounds, and one can never be too careful around men like him.

Lack-Two was gesturing for Whi-Two to be more vigilant when he notices Dailo suddenly turns to their direction. Reacting quickly, Lack-Two pulls Whi-Two brusquely next to him towards an alleyway just to his left.

The two are engulfed in silence, Lack-Two listening for every form of noise he could detect: the sound of Whi-Two's soft breathing as she stands quietly next to him, distant footsteps, and low murmurings. He makes out the sound of an almost inaudible conversation, and has Whi-Two pay close attention as well. They both try their hardest to listen to what they could until there was nothing more to be heard.

It was Whi-Two who first leans forward and tries to check for their surroundings but Lack-Two stops her immediately. He makes a gesture with his fingers to her, to which Whi-Two nods, and then leans back again.

Though almost too faint for to almost miss, there was a sound of a door creaking, and as subtly as it came out of the blue did it disappear, followed by a very soft thud.

They stood there in silence for a good minute or two before Lack-Two finally speaks.

"Looks like he's gone," he whispers, almost to himself. Whi-Two watches as her Inspector raises his left arm and starts speaking to his watch.

"Information log: Coordinates 6-56-32." He eyes around for a few moments before he nears his lips to the device.

"Arguably the middle of nowhere…"

Lack-Two drops his wrist and tries to listen for more sounds for another minute or two. Then he takes a deep breath and signals Whi-Two to follow him as vigilantly as she had.

Whi-Two nods.

They were going in.

-...-

The door creaks open, making the two officers wince; one with annoyance, and the other with fear. Lack-Two was the first to recover, and scouts the whole vicinity with his eyes as he takes his first step inside, followed shortly by Whi-Two.

It was pitch black no matter where they look, which Whi-Two finds it odd considering it was still mid-afternoon when they began pursuit.

"They cover the windows with paint to keep any form of light in," Lack-Two whispers, reading her mind. "It's to keep whatever it is they're hiding hidden from anyone, including them." He lets out a soft snort.

"Can't be too careful, now, can we?"

He suddenly stops in his tracks, letting Whi-Two walk into his back. She lets out a yelp, to which her superior suppresses with a warning squeeze to her hand. It was still dark, and Whi-Two still barely saw a thing, but she can tell from the way his body moved that he was giving her another deadly glare.

Never in her life had she appreciated darkness the way she did now.

"Phones," Lack-Two again whispers. Whi-Two was still staring into his direction when a blinding white light flashed before her eyes, making her lose her balance. She was about to fall back when Lack-Two, who still held her hand, pulled her back to her feet a little too brusquely. Whi-Two is overpowered by his force, and ends up falling forward. Fortunately, Lack-Two's build was able to stop her fall.

Relieved, she looks up, and finds her superior's exasperated face, made even more frightening by the illumination of his phone's flashlight.

Again, the young detective had to suppress a scream.

The inspector sighs in disappointment.

"Are you generally this pathetic, or is this just an off-day for you?" he whispers with a sneer, to which Whi-Two replies with a huff.

"I said 'phones'. Now."

With dread, Whi-Two fishes for her own phone from her purse and turns on her flashlight to his face, temporarily blinding him. Lack-Two only shot back with a glare.

"Petty," he said under his breath, letting go of her other hand to take the one holding the phone. Then he redirects its light to the direction he was facing, the direction where Whi-Two was supposed to have fallen had he not pulled her back, and what greets the girl was a whole stack of firearms and explosives.

Another scream was suppressed.

"You know, if this is how you're going to thank me from saving both our assess, I'm just gonna let you fall the next time you're doomed to cause an apocalypse."

Whi-Two just huffed, but said nothing.

She realizes that whether she says anything or not will only cause him a temper tantrum, so why bother wasting words?

The girl shakes her head as she watches her superior step towards the explosives.

 _Why me?_

Lack-Two lets his light scan through the box of explosives, an indecipherable look in his face. He turns off his light for a moment, letting Whi-Two's be their only source of illumination. She immediately directs it to her superior, afraid that something might have happened, and Lack-Two responds by turning his light on once again, this time towards her.

Whi-Two was about to complain but Lack-Two's voice stops her.

"Heads up, Detective," he whispers. Whi-Two blinks.

"They were expecting us to be here…"

-...-

Whi-Two watches as her superior went around and started taking pictures of whatever he could, a look of shock and doubt painted across her small face.

"Expecting us…?" she mumbles, her whole body frozen save for her eyes which she used to follow the other.

"You mean they know that we're here…?"

"Knowing and expecting are two exactly different things, Detective," was Lack-Two's response, aiming his camera at a certain corner. Whi-Two hears a click, and a quick flash of light temporarily revealed boxes and boxes of powdery substances, all laced with what Whi-Two believes to be gasoline, the way the strong pungent aroma filled her nose the more she stayed where she was.

"Knowing is being sure of who will be arriving and when." More clicks followed by sudden flashes of light. It made Whi-Two nauseous.

"Expecting is being sure that someone will arrive, but leaving the idea of who or when abstract…" He aims his camera to Whi-Two—along with the explosives that stood before her—and lets another flash escape.

This time, Whi-Two does not react.

"Simply put, they know that we'll arrive, but they don't know when we'll arrive or who we are."

Lack-Two does not speak after that, and for a good minute or two, the only sound they could hear was the flash from the inspector's camera. Again, all Whi-Two could do was follow him with her gaze, trying but failing to come up with a way to help him out.

Not that Lack-Two seemed to need it.

Whi-Two couldn't help but feel useless.

Suddenly, there was a sound of door creaking, and both officers turned their heads briskly to the direction of its source. Quickly, Lack-Two turns off his light and Whi-Two quickly follows. Then they quickly scoot over towards a stack of sealed boxes and crouched behind them, away from possible encounter.

"You sure about that?" a voice asks. Footsteps.

"Yeah," another, more familiar voice replies. "I made sure no one saw me come in. But if you don't trust me, then go right ahead. Go light up yet another good room-full of goods. You certainly don't seem to mind."

Both officers share a momentary look before Whi-Two takes out her phone and starts recording their conversation.

"Hey, you know I do mind," the first voice replies. "If it comes to that, this will be the fifth warehouse we'll be blowing up. I don't think that old geezer would appreciate losing more stocks than he's selling."

"And that's what I'm trying to say! Why do we just––Oh crap."

"What?"

"The door's open…" A sound of creaking. Whi-Two lets out a small, guilty yelp, making her fingers fly up to her lips to suppress what's left. Lack-Two looks at her with a warning glare.

Sounds of gun cocking, and loud footsteps.

"Someone's in here!" Several blinding white lights turn on at once, moving in different directions like searchlights. Whi-Two's hands shiver as she tries to turn off her phone, the act of saving the record and locking the gadget proving to be a lot harder when her brain's in shambles.

Reliable or not, she's still a rookie.

 _Why, me?_ She thought as she swallows another upcoming scream.

 _Why? Why?_ _ **Why?!**_

She feels a hand envelope one of her trembling hands, and held it tightly.

Almost reassuringly.

"Being scared won't keep you alive, Detective," Lack-Two's voice came from the faint figure in front of her. Whi-Two looks to his direction, feeling her hand slowly being led forward. Soon she she could feel the material of her superior's jacket and, with the help of his hand, she was able to brush it away and feel for the holster in his belt which held a pistol.

Ironically, it made Whi-Two a little calmer.

"You want to know a fun fact?" she hears him whisper again, his voice surprisingly calm. Whi-Two, with nothing better to say or do, simply nods, even though she knew Lack-Two wouldn't be able to see it.

"I scored 9.3 in combat when I was still a trooper… My only non-perfect score."

Whi-Two looks at him, slightly irritated but mostly confused.

"You want to know why?"

The girl didn't have the slightest clue what he was saying but she knew that there might be no other way they're going to get out of there alive than to simply go with whatever her demented inspector was planning.

If ever he _was_ planning something.

She feels Lack-Two turn his whole body towards her, just in time for one of the "searchlights" to illuminate his smiling face.

"I can't shoot a gun for my own good."

He again turns to the people searching around, knocking down boxes after boxes and shouting at each other. By the sound of voices, Whi-Two have surmised that some of the men from earlier on must've gone outside. She started counting in her head.

Three. There were three of them still inside.

Lack-Two nudged the girl and gestured for the ceiling, which the searchlights would momentarily hit every now and then as they moved about. There was a sprinkler.

Only one.

"We only have one shot in escaping this place unscathed with minimal encounters with those men," Lack-Two was saying, eyes still on that sprinkler.

"And for that, I'm going to rely on that 8.5 of yours."

The gun was already in Whi-Two's hand. She gives herself a few seconds to gaze at it before finally looking up once more.

The room was still dark except for the searchlights. It would be impossible for an ordinary policeman to be able to hit it with unstable lighting such as what she has at the moment.

But Whi-Two was no ordinary policeman, which she never fails to remind herself.

Slowly, she straightened both her arms and aimed up. She waited for the light to pass by again one last time to make sure of her target's location, and the moment the light did, Whi-Two did not hesitate and pulled the trigger.

There was an explosion, and soon, the whole place was dripping wet and the lights were gone.

"That shot came from behind the boxes!" one of the guys exclaimed, obviously calling for backup. Lack-Two acted quickly and ran out from where he was hiding. Using the man's voice as guide he was able to reach the door and knocked the man down with his bare hands. Then he opened the door as wide as he could, letting the light of the late afternoon in, giving Whi-Two the signal. The girl quickly ran from where she was hiding and reached out for Lack-Two's outstretched hand.

"Over there!"

"Get 'em!"

"Hurry!"

"Don't let them see your face," Lack-Two hissed, almost dragging the girl along the path they've treaded when they were following Dailo. "The last thing we need is for them to recognize _two_ SUU officers…"

Whi-Two was adjusting her hood over head when she suddenly looked up to her superior's face in disbelief.

"Did they see _your_ face?"

Instead of replying, Lack-Two pulls Whi-Two brusquely into some bushes and followed suit. They both landed into a clearing with a dead end, trying to catch their breaths.

But the chase was far from over.

"Search the area!"

"They couldn't have gone too far!"

Whi-Two followed the voices' directions with her head, and feels herself shrink in fear.

"Now what?" she mumbles, turning to Lack-Two, who was peeling off his jacket.

"Inspector, what're you…?"

"You wanna get out of here alive?" he asks, throwing the jacket to the side and walking towards her, a look of apparent hesitation in his eyes. Whi-Two had to step back in fear.

"Wait, what're you…"

Her voice trails off when he grabs both her shoulders and pin her to a wall. Then, with a deep, heavy breath, he gives her a rueful smile.

"I am so sorry."

And with that, he presses his lips against hers.

-...-

Joven Dailo hears muffled sounds as they passed by a cluster of shrubs. He halts for a moment, tries to come nearer, and when he was sure of what he was hearing, he gestures one of his fellow men to follow him. Together, they tiptoed towards where the noise was coming from, and after sharing meaningful looks to each other, the two of them charge into the clearing…

"Hands where I can see––oh."

A familiar set of wild brunet hair greeted him, the owner's face pressed against something.

Something slightly struggling...

It took said owner half a second to acknowledge Dailo's voice, and as he turned his head towards them, the two men could feel the horror in the boy's eyes.

He looked mortified.

"AH!" he screams, immediately wrapping the girl––at least Dailo assumed it was a girl––in a protective embrace.

"AH!" the two men scream back, dropping their hostile stances out of shock.

"AW, DUDE! NOT COOL!" the boy, which Dailo now remembers to be named 'Nate', suddenly cries at them, his face now an unapproving scowl.

"Nobody appreciates a peeping Tom and Jerry, you dicks!" He holds the girl even tighter as he screams a little louder.

"Get out!"

It was Joven's companion who was first to recover.

"Hey, you've got the gall to ask us to go out! Who gave you the––"

"Let's go."

The comrade looks at the Joven with disbelief.

"You're kidding…"

Joven and Nate lock eyes for a moment, making the former nudge at his partner even harder.

"I mean it, Roj, let's go!"

"What?! Why?!"

"He's a client," he hisses, grabbing his shoulder, pulling him to the other direction. "This won't look good for future sales. Let's go."

The companion gives Nate one last look before he lowers his gun and follows Dailo, who was already on his way out of that clearing.

In just half a minute, the two men were gone.

Lack-Two listens as the voices and the footsteps fade into the early evening, leaving him and his mentee alone once and for all. He takes the chance to take a long, deep breath, slowly freeing Whi-Two from his grasp. But he doesn't move away, leaving the girl trapped when he leaned forward against the wall in relief.

"Well, that was interesting…" he mumbles, taking more deep breaths. "Hopefully, all the evidences we've gotten are _worth_ that much trouble…"

He opens his eyes when he feels his watch vibrate. Straightening himself up, he lifts his arm near to his face and listens.

"Alright… We'll report in what we've seen as soon as we can... Of course… Until then."

He drops his arm with a sigh.

"Look alive, Detective," his voice slowly coming back into a calm, though his shoulders still rise and fall with every breath. "We're required to report all of these by today…"

He was still looking around when he realized that Whi-Two did not respond.

"Are we clear, Detective?"

Still no response.

Confused, he looked down and found that Whi-Two has already slid down and was sitting on the grass by his feet. She was breathing oddly calmly and her whole body was still.

Almost frozen.

Lack-Two lowers himself to have a look of her face, which she's hidden underneath underneath her hoodie. The inspector reaches forward and takes off the hood, and was almost taken aback at the image of still, blank eyes filled with tears.

"...Detective?"

-...-

"Here."

Lack-Two places the can of iced coffee in the space between him and a quietly sobbing Whi-Two. He takes one short glance her way, and found that she hasn't changed stance since he's left to get her a drink.

He rolls his eyes as he lowers himself at the other end of the bench.

Whi-Two's been at it for almost an hour, letting soft whimpers escape her lips, not letting Lack-Two go anywhere beyond the other end of the park bench, reacting violently whenever he tries.

The boy sighs.

"Come on, I did say I was sorry…" he reasons out in irritation, looking glumly at another direction. "I even bought you a drink. Stop being mad at me already."

"I never asked for a drink, you jerk!" she suddenly cries, earning them a few suspicious glares from the people still walking around the park. Lack-Two had to shrink back a little and lessen his presence.

The last thing he needed was people recognizing them.

"Do you want me to say 'sorry' again?" he asks, leaning forward to take the coffee back to his side, quick enough for Whi-Two not to notice.

But still, Whi-Two turns to him and screams again:

"I don't need your apology!"

"Then what _do_ you want from me?!"

The girl huffed, tears still in her eyes as she looked down again, wincing as she tries to stop the tears from flowing.

"I doubt you even know what you're saying sorry about…" she mumbles.

"To be quite honest, I really don't," he agrees, opening the can and taking a long swig.

"See what I mean?!"

Then, she started crying again.

"I can't believe you did that… And without my permission, too!"

Lack-Two exhaled loudly as he crushed the empty can and threw it away.

"They would've caught us if I didn't do that," he reasons out calmly, perhaps for the umpteenth time.

"Still!" she cries back. "You could've told me first!"

"What're you getting so worked up about?" Lack-Two asks, leaning back, eyes almost strained from rolling them too much over the past hour.

"It was just a kiss…"

"It wasn't _just_ a kiss, god damn you!" she almost screeches, narrowly hitting him with her purse. Lack-Two almost fought back out of reflex, but was immediately stopped by the watchful eye of one of the park cleaners. Begrudgingly, he takes another deep breath as he backs away, letting his eyes land on her, and feeling a sudden flip in his stomach..

She was watching him with tear-filled eyes.

Was this really the same girl he was able to beat into a pulp just yesterday without hearing as much as a whimper?

Lack-Two inwardly rolls his eyes in disbelief.

"Why not?" he tries again, this time letting his voice sound as calm and as gentle as he could. It catches the girl off guard, and she finds herself telling him without reservations.

"That was…" she finds herself mumbling.

"My first kiss."

Whi-Two immediately returns to her senses, looks away and covers her face in embarrassment , feeling scared all of a sudden.

Lack-Two was judging her, she could tell. He was already inwardly laughing at her, no doubt about it.

It was petty. It was truly petty, and definitely not worth this inspector's time.

Now, Whi-Two just wished she didn't say anything.

But still, the girl braves raising her gaze to see how her mentor reacted, still slightly hoping for the best, and was slightly taken aback by what she sees.

Lack-Two's lips were pressed in a thin line. His eyes softened as he watches her, and Whi-Two could swear she was suddenly looking right through her soul.

She couldn't help but feel at ease somehow.

"That's it?" Lack-Two suddenly spoke. Whi-Two's bag came flying to his face, but his reflexes acted immediately, and caught it in midair.

"What I meant was," he begins, pulling the bag away from Whi-Two. "Is that it? Nothing else? Just me stealing your first kiss?"

The girl looks at him with rage, but realizes that it was futile to start a fight when she knew she barely has any energy anymore. Instead, she just nods.

Lack-Two sighs.

"Okay," he says, slinging the purse to his shoulder and standing up. He then gestures for her to do the same. Whi-Two, however, due to shock and suspicion, retains her position, her eyes focused on him.

"Now, what're you…"

"Choose a restaurant you like," he says.

Whi-Two watches him with uncertainty.

"…Why?"

To her surprise, he turns to her with a smile.

"Nothing irks me with myself more than knowing that I stole a fair lady's first kiss."

Then his smile drops as he started charting his way out in his mind.

"I'm giving you permission to ruin me financially. Now, get up before I change my mind."

-...-

Lack-Two watches as Whi-Two wolfs down her third glass of strawberry parfait, silently wondering if he had made the right offer. When the girl mentioned the small parfait place nearby, he actually thought it was a safe choice that will yield the least suspicion. Plus, it was designed such that no customers would be able to overhear each other-a perfect place to discuss detailed evidences. But now that they were there…

Forget the possible financial hole this will leave his life-that's the least of his worries. Lack-Two was more afraid that they might come back to the station with Whi-Two twice her size.

So much for keeping his mentee in tip-top shape...

Groaning, he quietly returns to his order, and tries to take his first spoonful.

 _Green Tea Parfait_ -who knew such a thing existed in the realms in which he lives in. It feels like an abomination.

He tries to hold it in, succeeds (but only after a few minutes of forcing himself to), and then stares disdainfully at the cup. The waitress said that this was supposedly the least sugary mess in the menu, but it was still enough to give him a headache. How Whi-Two can last through three glasses of that unholy amount of sugar, cream, and chocolate on her side was beyond him.

Whi-Two finishes her third glass, and on her last spoonful, she stops a waitress and addresses her kindly, ordering yet another glass. Lack-Two raises his brow at how the waitress didn't seem to be surprised at all, and simply heads for the kitchen. Whi-Two returns to her glass with a smile on her face, which immediately disappears when she catches her inspector gawking at her.

"What?" she mumbles darkly. Lack-Two tries to innocently scoop another spoonful of his order, subtly shaking his head, but Whi-Two nonetheless glows in embarrassment.

"I eat when I'm upset, okay?" she reasons defensively. Lack-Two still retains his eye contact with his dessert, only responding with a nod.

"But, I'm not saying anything…" he mutters.

The third-grade detective grasps onto her spoon with rage and frustration. Then she takes a sharp intake of breath, and lets the utensil go, leaving indentations and a stinging sensation on her palm.

"With all due respect, Inspector," she begins, speaking so slowly, it was enough to make Lack-Two lift his gaze back to her.

"Are you always such a jerk?"

To her surprise, Lack-Two lets out a brief chuckle. Though this was still affecting her annoyance meter, she had to admit that his peculiar reaction gave her a feeling of some sort of relief.

She really thought he was going to jump on her and drag her out by the hair.

"Only when I find it necessary," he replies, finally giving up on his god-forsaken, green-colored dessert. He lets his spoon down on the tray and pushes everything to the side, making room for him to fold his arms forward.

"I'm actually very respectful of people, Detective… Unless duty calls for me to be rude."

"...And duty calls for you to be rude everyday?"

"Not everyday," he points out. "Sundays and Thursdays are my days off. And I'm betting those will be your new favorite days from now on."

Whi-Two was not amused, and retains her slightly annoyed glare directed at him. Lack-Two ignores it, deciding that he had already wasted enough time. He takes the moment when the waitress comes back and hands Whi-Two her order to fish out his phone and starts scrolling through the images he's caught.

Frankly, how the girl reacted towards him mattered very little to the young inspector, but he'd be lying if he claimed that that poisonous glare she kept throwing towards him was not detrimental to his state of mind, albeit just a little bit.

He scrolls past the pictures of craters filled with dangerous drugs and boxes brimming with explosives, trying to weave together a full and detailed report in his head which he intends to write as soon as they get back. Whi-Two returns to him after taking three spoonfuls of cream to relieve her anger a bit, and notices how his demeanor shifted from rude to focused.

It was only then that she remembered that they were still on a mission. Together.

Whi-Two had to take another spoonful to suppress her scream of annoyance.

"So what now?" she asks putting down her spoon and leaning a bit forward to see the images he was sliding to and fro.

"Are we going back there and start arresting them?"

Lack-Two lifts his gaze from deep thought momentarily to look at her.

"I suppose that would be a the mandatory course of action," he half mumbles, half hums.

"...If this was a sting operation."

Whi-Two raises her gaze at him, and the latter avoids it by dropping his to his phone.

"So, this wasn't a sting operation?" she asks in disbelief. "Then what on earth was all of that for?"

Lack-Two lets out a sigh.

"You're not very fond of reading case files thoroughly, are you, Detective?"

Whi-Two revives her glare.

"Judging by how careful they were with their anonymity, enough for them to consider burning their own goods if it means burning evidences, it seems that Dailo and his team are involved in something that is much, much bigger than just illegal drug operations. So massive that they can't afford displeasing them for any reason." He looks back at her.

"Do you think you and I could simply just waltz in there declaring arrest-you know, _if_ that warehouse is still standing as we speak?"

Whi-Two swallows hard.

"And even if you say that we'd call for backup, I doubt we'll be as ready to subdue them as they are ready to eradicate us. Skills and numbers are almost futile when you're up against something you barely know anything about but knows a lot about you…"

He pauses for a moment as he slides rapidly across his gallery of evidences, all the way to where the images began, taking another good look of the warehouse's overall interior.

"But that's where we come in," he continues, zooming into different sections of the dark, almost pitch-black, room. "Intelligence gathering-one of the SUU's core competencies. There is this collective assumption of the UPD that everything that is happening in this country are all connected to one another by hidden strings that we have yet to uncover, and so we try to collect as much information as we possibly can through any means possible, and try to paint a giant picture."

Whi-Two finally drops her gaze towards the phone and finally follows the movement of Lack-Two's finger as it hovered around the small screen.

"The SUU barely performs arrest-we are most of the time considered support, but a really crucial one at that. Without us, UPD will have no choice but to go around blindly and succumb to mediocre ways of tracking down criminals. And with the kind of situation our country is in right now, I don't think our department will survive with anything as less as 'mediocre'."

Lack-Two suddenly stops sliding through the images, grabs his phone, twists it so the right side up was facing Whi-Two's direction, then he slides it towards her. Whi-Two was too beats off, but she catches it before it would've dropped. She then takes a good look at the image it was displaying.

A picture of her looking slightly dumbfounded-the one he took that almost caused her to fall into her and her superior's doom. It was dark except for her body which the flash had focused in, but she can make some things from the background.

"Our job now is to compile all of these evidences and combine them with what we've heard and sew them into one major comprehensive report and submit it to the board. Then it's up to the board how they'll go about with the information we have."

At that, Whi-Two looks at him in bewilderment.

"Won't that take too long, Sir?"

Lack-Two shrugs.

"You can't rush above-average."

Whi-Two looks down at the phone once more.

"...But you need swift justice," she softly mutters, sliding towards another image.

Lack-Two suppresses a chuckle.

"Have some faith in the department you work for, Detective. It'll help you in the long run."

Whi-Two returns her gaze back to him.

 _Not when the department has people like you._

"Anyway…" Lack-Two clears his throat as he leans forward and takes the phone back. "We need to get back soon if we are to finish writing this report tonight." Then he adds almost inaudibly: "Although, I'm already having qualms that we could do that given the holes still left with us."

Whi-Two was taking another spoonful of ice cream when she hears him.

"Like what?" she asks.

Her superior gives her a look before sighing.

"Like how the hell could a number of men fit in that rather small warehouse. They can't possibly have entered in any way since the whole place is basically locked down from the roof to the ground, and we were blocking its only entrance."

"There were exactly seven of them," Whi-Two mumbles, taking another spoonful of ice cream. "And the warehouse wasn't small-the boxes were just placed in such a way that it would look like there's only one room, but…" She reaches out for the phone, which the other did not hesitate in handing over.

"Look," she points out, displaying the picture of herself with the boxes of explosives as background.

"These boxes were placed immediately next to the wall, and their shadows caused by your camera's flash looks like this." She zooms in, showing how the shadow casted upward. It was faint, but it was evident.

"Now compare that to how the other shadows looked like…" She scrolled through everything quickly and then flashed one with the craters of drugs. Lack-Two looked at them intently, and noticed that the shadows, indeed, seemed shorter compared to the ratio from the box of explosives from a while ago. Which could only mean one thing:

There was still a cavity between the boxes and the wall behind them-its size big enough to at least fit human beings.

Whi-Two's mentor raises a brow in acknowledgement. He admits that it might have taken him more than an evening to figure out. _And yet this girl…_

"So, you're telling me that there could have been a bigger portion of the warehouse that we were not able to scour, is that it?"

"Not that it matters," Whi-Two tells him, her eyes still trapped to the phone's screen, still scrolling through the images.

"I think we've gotten enough to write a completely detailed report. At least, to explain everything that's happened for today, if that's really what we're trying to do."

The inspector couldn't keep a smirk from forming on his face.

"Oh?" he asks, leaning forward with a knowing smile. "You think you can do it?"

Whi-Two returns a deadpanned look at him.

"You don't have to coax me into doing this report all by myself," she drawls with a resigned sigh, typing something on her superior's phone, sending all images to hers.

"I was planning on doing it on my own anyway, if it means I can stay away from you a lot more." Then she jolts, and her palm immediately flies to her lips as she looks at him, horrified.

To which Lack-Two only laughs at.

"Normally, I don't tolerate insubordination, but because you think I've caused you this much trouble and you're basically doing me a favor, I'll let this particular one slide…"

Still, the girl watches him carefully.

"But who would've thought..." he continues, gesturing at the waitress from a while ago for the bill.

"...That behind all this erratic and jumpy behavior of yours lies some remarkable skills in detecting…" He chuckles as the girl hands him back his phone, a look of disdain still on her eyes.

"Not bad. I might grow to like you, Detective."

Whi-Two rolls her eyes in disgust, going back to her dessert.

"Can't say the same for you, Inspector."

"...We'll work on that."

 **-Mission_3 Status: Accomplished-**

" _ **The hierarchical structure of officers in UPD is as follows: the whole department is headed by the Department Superintendent, who also heads the Nimbasa Division. Under him are the Colonels heading their respective departments, and under them are the inspectors, who heads their respective units (Units will be further discussed in the next chapters). Under the inspectors are the officers of various ranks, each assigned to their respective units." - Excerpt from the UPD Trooper's Manual, Chapter 1: Hierarchy.**_


	4. Mission4

**Mission_4: Critical Incident Stress Debriefing**

Sounds of sirens fill Whi-Two's ears as she and her Inspector sped through the streets of Nimbasa, occasionally being drowned out by the sound of her superior's radio. Both familiar and unfamiliar voices boomed through his speakers, and she watches as Lack-Two performs the almost routinary dance of picking up his mouthpiece to relay instructions in his calm but urgent voice, and then placing it down but only to be picked up again after a few seconds, another officer voicing either his concerns or his update.

"SRT Officer Butch, Sir, here in Area 12," one officer's voice boomed. "Teams 4, 7 and 9 are already stationed. Ready to fire at command."

Whi-Two's eyes widen in fear and in surprise. She immediately looks up at her inspector, who in turn simply releases a short-lived sigh as he picked up his radio again.

"No firing will happen if you do your jobs right, Officer," he barked, his voice gradually rising. "Each bullet you fire without my consent will be the same number of bullets I will be shooting at you during Combat Training, are we clear?!"

A small yelp came from the other end of the line.

"...Sir. Yes, Sir."

He rolls his eyes as he lifts the mouthpiece to his lips.

"One of you report to me the current situation."

"SRT Commander Yzain of Team 4, Sir," another voice reports. "The surrounding vicinity has been cleared of civilians. All present family members of the hostages are brought to a nearby officer's household and are guarded by Team 2. Constant updates are being sent through radio."

"Good," Lack-Two breathes, lowering the radio to turn a corner.

"And the Negotiations Team?"

"Currently in contact with the subject, Sir. Negotiations are still undergoing."

"Alright, commander. Keep it up. Expect me there in two minutes."

"Sir. Yes, Sir!"

The Inspector places the radio down and returns both hands to the steering wheel, eyes peeled on the road. Thankfully, it was an unholy hour of the night, and the city rush hour has already come and gone.

"You realize that you shouldn't be here, right?" he suddenly speaks, finally addressing the all too quiet detective sitting in his passenger seat.

"This isn't your department's concern, Detective."

The girl takes a deep breath to relieve the shaking of her hands.

"I am well aware of that, Sir," she almost mumbles, eyes still focused on the road as they had been since she's rode his unit.

"But according to the manual, any police officer is allowed- _expected_ -to respond to any situation within close proximity to where they currently are."

Lack-Two taps impatiently on the wheel.

"Being in the station doesn't count," he mutters.

"Just let me help out, Sir," she whispers in a pleading voice. "I promise I won't be a liability."

Lack-Two takes a moment to cast her a sidelong look before immediately returning his gaze to the road. More police cars are coming into view, and soon, the two of them could see the large crowd that the situation has caused.

"Fine," he groans, stepping on the brakes. A police officer greets them with a salute.

"But you're not my responsibility for today, Whi-Two."

-...-

Whi-Two follows feebly as her senior strides through the saluting officers who stumbles around trying to make way for him. He instantly makes his way to four officers standing by the front, nearest to the building where-as Whi-Two has heard from the various reports thrown upon Lack-Two-an allegedly insane security guard is keeping several employees and guests hostage.

"There better be good news," he greets the four. Only two face him and acknowledge his presence with a salute. The other two, Whi-Two finally notices as she came close into proximity, seemed to be in great focus over a laptop screen in front of them.

It was rather blurry and almost unclear, but Whi-Two can definitely make up the image of a group of people sitting on the ground, crying, while a rather tall man was pacing around, a rifle on his hand.

"That's an AR-15 Rifle," she mumbles. She looks up at the building.

"Aren't those only issued to official UPD officers?"

"There's an assumption that Mr. Panama is involved in illegal weapon smuggling," one of the two officers who greeted Lack-Two explains, approaching her with a sheepish smile.

"It's the only explanation we can actually come up with since there are no records of Mr. Panama ever being involved with the UPD nor are there cases of stolen weapons from our armory."

Whi-Two watches the boy as he blushes a little. Then he stretches his hand to her.

"Hostage Negotiations Team Special Officer Leo Lario," he smiles. "We haven't formally met yet, but I believe you're the newest recruit from Aspertia? Detective Whi-Two, yes?"

Then he freezes when he hears Lack-Two clear his throat, a little louder than usual.

"HNT Commander Cheren," he almost barks. "Please do kindly tell your team members to keep their hands to themselves during missions."

The older-looking, taller man standing near the laptop heaves an annoyed sigh as he leaves the shorter woman by his side to turn to the flustered officer.

"Leo, do us all a favor and please don't flirt with people from other units while we're on the field. You're giving us all a bad name."

"S-Sir, I'm not…!"

Lack-Two clears his throat again, making the officer shut his lips as he returns to his post. Whi-Two watches him as he slumps to where an odd-looking machine was sitting, taking a pair of headphones and wearing it on his head.

The SUU Inspector returns to the commander.

"I'm expecting good results considering your members have the luxury time to slack off," he addresses the taller man in a condescending voice, to which the latter returns with only a resigned sigh. Instead of replying, he gestures at the shorter woman who was speaking through the phone. She puts it down shortly to take the moment to triumphantly pump both her fists.

"Hooray!" she softly cheers before returning to her phone.

"You know, Inspector," the older man, Cheren, drawls. "If you still find it against your principles to have some faith in the special sectors of your own team, at least have some faith in our resident expert mediator."

Whi-Two watches as the girl speaks even more enthusiastically to the phone, wondering if she was the well-renowned UPD Mediator everyone spoke of highly back in Aspertia. The shorter girl, whose wild blonde hair was tamed in her quite over-sized police cap, suddenly ends the call and turns to Cheren with a thumbs up.

"Your turn," she points at him. The other only nods. He raises his radio to his mouth and starts barking orders. Immediately, two groups of police officers surrounding a group of medical practitioners start running towards the building. Before Whi-Two could ask what was happening, a group of people suddenly emerge from the building's entrance, mostly crying and all pale with shock. The medical practitioners went to them one by one, assisted by the policemen.

The shorter girl with the wild blonde hair faces a deadpanned Lack-Two with a triumphant smile.

"You should really learn how to respect your seniors, Inspector," she scolds him playfully. "Skills can only get you so far." Then she turns to Whi-Two and flashes a huge grin.

"Pleased to meet you, my name is Bianca, Hostage Negotiation Team's Second Field Commander! And can I just say you are just about the _cutest_ little hairball I've ever seen in my life!" Then she gives Lack-Two a mocking glance.

"Too bad you're not assigned to the _cooler_ kids..."

"Bianca!" Cheren's voice called out. He was already on the other side of the barricades with the other two members of the HNT. Bianca sheepishly waves at him.

"Coming, Cheren!"

Then, with a parting grin addressed to the confused Whi-Two, she hops over the barricade and joins her team. Together, the four of them run towards the building's entrance.

"Where are they…?"

"Off to meet the subject, of course," Lack-Two replies, a little impatiently. "Just because the perpetrator's freed his victims doesn't mean he's safe to be left there alone. And since the only ones he seems to have trusted is Bianca and her team, they're the only ones viable to get in there and abduct him."

He gives Whi-Two a momentary look before looking back at the treated civilians.

"Looks like we weren't needed here, after all." With a sigh, he snappily turns on his heel and starts walking back.

"Why on earth did they call you out here, then," she mutters. Lack-Two turns to her with a slightly annoyed look.

"I also happen to be a member of the Special Response Team, so it is _imperative_ that I am here, even if it's just for support." Then he turns and continues walking.

"Unlike some people…"

Whi-Two huffs her cheeks in hostility, but decides not to respond. She instead turns back to the laptop screen, which now displayed the man all alone in the room, still pacing around, as if in fear. Looking closer, he still seemed to be on the phone with someone, which was peculiar since she _swears_ that Bianca has put down the phone and ended the call.

 _What on earth…?_

To her surprise, the man suddenly stops, and looks straight into the camera. Then, after a slight pause, he nods, and aims his gun at it.

Before Whi-Two could turn to her inspector to report this, the man shoots.

-...-

"Cheren! Bianca!"

The two field commanders turn their heads and find Lack-Two and Whi-Two approaching them in haste. Despite their confusion, the two sets down their arms and greets them.

"What happened?" Lack-Two demands, looking around at the now empty room where the hostages were once held. Bianca's face turns grim as she looks away, and Cheren steps in to explain.

"I believe we're looking into a relapse," he explains, holding Bianca's shoulder as if in comfort. "Although we don't know what could've caused it because we were positive that the man was in a non-hostile condition when he allowed to hostages free…"

"I don't think it's a relapse," Whi-Two chimes in, finally stepping forward. The two field commanders look down on her in surprise.

"T-The man was in a phone call just a few minutes after you went for him. He seemed to be frantic about it, and he looked like he was trying to reason something out…"

"I don't think that's possible," Cheren argues. "All signals were blocked except for Bianca's line. That can't be…"

"I saw what I saw!" Whi-Two cries, looking up frantically at Lack-Two, who was switching his attention back and forth between Cheren and his junior.

"Sir, you have to believe me…" Then she springs up and starts looking for the camera that was capturing footage of everything.

She couldn't find any.

"That's enough, Whi-Two," Lack-Two reprimands her, taking her by the shoulder to gently pull her back. Whi-Two watches him helplessly.

"Regardless of whether what Whi-Two saw was real or not, the fact still remains: the subject is once again considered a threat. Where is he?"

Instead of replying, Cheren simply draws his attention to Leo and the other officer from their team who were reaching out from one of the windows.

"Neither Bianca nor I can come near him anymore," Cheren explains. "Everytime he hears our voices, he tries to run further and further into a place where we can't reach him."

"You have guns, don't you?" Lack-Two barks at them. "This is especially a situation where you people have the right to immobilize him!"

"We can't!" Bianca finally cries back to him. The other three freeze at the sound of urgency in the blonde's voice.

She looks up at Cheren with sad eyes before looking back at the other two officers.

"He's standing near an edge…"

"And?!"

Bianca looks him straight into his eyes.

"He has a kid with him…"

-...-

"No! Get back!"

The man takes a few steps backwards, dragging the child farther with him, his pistol still aimed at the crying child's temple. His legs trembled as he did, though his feet remain perched firmly despite the narrow metal scaffolding he treaded on. Underneath them, slabs of concrete and broken glass spread across wet cement-signs of a construction site obviously abandoned in haste. Should he make the wrongest of steps, he and the child immediately plummet to their death.

He returns his wild gaze to the two officers stretching their hands to him, one of them appearing to plan on climbing out the window.

Immediately, he lets out a warning scream.

"Stay away," he threatened. "One wrong move and I'll jump with this kid!"

The two officers flinch, acknowledging the view fifteen feet below the man and the child. Slowly, they shrink back into the window, retreating to their commanders, though not letting their eye escape the man and his hostage.

"I don't get it," Leo's partner hisses. "What could that guy possibly want?!"

"An escape route, I'm assuming," Lack-Two chimes in, stepping forward to try and see through the window, but only to be stopped by Cheren's hand. The SUU inspector gives the taller man a dangerous look, to which the latter only returns with his usual deadpan stare.

"If it was an escape route that he wanted, we would've given it to him at the start," Cheren explained, eyeing the still distraught Bianca, now being comforted by Whi-Two.

"But this is the kind of perpetrator with a more complicated motivation. It's not really in his best interest to hurt anyone."

"Well, he is," Lack-Two pressed.

"That's because people have driven him to a corner!" Bianca suddenly cries, much to the other four's surprise. Cheren finally leaves Lack-Two and turns to her, but the girl shakes her head in refusal.

"He's been in high debt with this company in order to save his only daughter who was ill. But even then, his daughter perished, and now he has to stay alive and work for the company until his debt is completely paid."

Bianca eyes the other officers one-by-one.

"Then, they started accusing him of stealing."

"Enough, Bianca," Cheren nudges her, reaching for his partner's shoulder.

"But I failed him, Cheren!" Bianca reasons, the trembling of her body finally manifesting in her voice.

"I… He already trusted me and agreed to let me hear him out! Then all of a sudden, he…" Her hand flies to her mouth.

"...I failed him."

Whi-Two and her inspector share a short look.

"Alright," Lack-Two finally sighs, his voice calm again. "Relapses are common, regardless of how good your negotiations skills are. It's useless to work yourself over this, Commander. What's important is that we try and reach him again this time."

"But that's the problem," Cheren replies. "He refuses to listen to anyone from our team anymore. Claims we're minions of this man called 'Mr. Smith', sent to arrest him. It might scare him if we call for backup." He turns back to the direction of the window, where Leo and his partner are once again trying to reason out with the man, albeit to the negative.

"He can see the scope of our team from up there. He'll know if another set of policemen try to come into this building. We won't know for sure what will happen if he does-"

 _BANG!_

"Mr. Panama-!"

Cheren's eyes immediately widen as he moves his head around frantically. Bianca immediately started for the window, joining her two subordinates.

"Who fired that shot?!" Lack-Two was already barking to his watch, following Bianca's footsteps.

"Weren't HNT's orders clear?! I swear to God, whoever did that can kiss his career goodbye!"

"Mr. Panama, stop shooting!"

But Mr. Panama was already firing his pistol aimlessly back at the area where the officers, and some bystanders, were all standing. More gunshots were returned to his direction.

"Cease these gunshots immediately! Where are your field commanders?!"

The old man felt the hollowness of his efforts and returned the gun back to kid.

"I'm sorry, Cindy…" he whispered, positioning his index finger against the trigger. "Daddy has to hide you away from the bad guys…"

The kid's weeping grows louder.

"Don't worry… This won't hurt a bit… And Daddy will soon come get you… Okay? Then we'll go to Disneyland, like Daddy promised…"

"No…" the kid was crying. "No! No! I don't wanna!"

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, Cindy…"

 _BANG!_

Mr. Panama cries in pain as the bullet brushes against his hand, enough to make him let go of his pistol. He watches with distraught eyes as the pistol plummets to the ground, silently counting in his head before he heard the crashing sound.

Then he slowly raises his eyes forward, from where the bullet was fired from.

"Wait, isn't that Inspector Lack-Two's…?"

"Detective…?"

Lack-Two's head suddenly emerges from the window and starts crying at the figure that stood by the edge of the ledge, a few meters from where the man and the small child stood.

"Whi-Two!" he yells, his voice bordering murderous."What in _hell_ do you think you're doing?!"

Said officer only retains her position: body slightly lowered to retain balance, right arm outstretched while the supporting left arm slightly bended, the pistol resting calmly against her fingers. The old man watches her as she moves to cock her gun the second time. Slowly. Deliberately.

Then she regains her initial position, the gun now directly aimed at him.

"What is she doing, Lack-Two?!" Bianca cries from the window, grabbing said inspector's sleeve. "She's aggravating the man… He might…"

"No," Cheren cuts her off.

"She's stopping him…"

Bianca returns her gaze to the man, and true enough, he was slowly-very, very slowly-raising his arms in surrender. As soon as his arms were lifted from the child's shoulder, enough for the latter to crawl away, Whi-Two affixes her gaze to the latter. She gives him a reassuring nod and gestures at her right foot, which she was slowly sliding forward. Then, she nods to him again, as if to invite him.

The boy, though confused and still frightened, slowly lowered himself until he was down on all fours on the scaffolding, and when he was sure that the man was not going to do anything, he began to crawl towards Whi-Two. As soon as he touched the female officer's shoes, Whi-Two wasted no time, and immediately grabbed the back of the boy's shirt with one hand while letting the other still point her gun at the old man, and when she was sure that the man was not going to move, she supported the crying child as he finally reached the ledge where she stood on.

"Wow, you're so brave," she addresses him gently, ruffling his hair as he grabbed desperately to her waist. "You reached me all on your own. I'm so proud of you!"

The boy only bawled.

Whi-Two gently but quickly leads the child to where the other policemen were waiting. Cheren immediately takes the child and does preliminary check-up on his condition while Lack-Two prepares himself to climb up the ledge to aid his mentee.

The old man, who was peaceful the whole time the boy was traversing his way back to Whi-Two, suddenly looked askance as he did.

Whi-Two had to keep him at bay.

"No!" she cries to him, much to the inspector's annoyance. Whi-Two shrinks back as her superior gives her a dangerous look, but she gathers enough courage to regain her firm face.

"Please, Sir… I can handle this…"

Lack-Two's face does not change, but his body does show signs of backing away.

 _You better do…_

Whi-Two returns to the old man. She watches him for a moment, and when it was finally clear that the man had no more way to threaten them, she lowers her gun. Then, with a deep breath, she climbs on the scaffolding, and starts for the man.

"Thank you for setting the child free…" she begins, stepping forward carefully. Then, when she was sure the man was looking out to her, she reaches out her hand. It was noticeably trembling.

"Now it's your turn…"

The old man looks at her with scared eyes.

"Mr. Panama... " she calls out to him tenderly, attempting to take more steps. "Mr. Panama, right…? Mr. Panama of the Smith Agency…?"

The man's eyes were softening with tears. He nods in acknowledgement of his name, now being uttered in such a tender voice. She had the voice of an angel, he thought.

"Yes…" he says. "That's me. I'm Mr. Panama…"

Whi-Two pauses to let what he's said sink in, and when it did, she smiles a kind smile. Just like an angel's.

"I didn't steal anything…" Mr. Panama continues. "I… I never stole anything…"

Whi-Two nods comfortingly. Just like an angel would.

"I know, Sir. We know…"

"I… I was off-duty when the robbery happened…"

"We know, Sir…"

"I… I don't know how they got my gun and my keys!"

"It's alright, Sir…"

"I would never… _ever_ do something so heinous! I'm an upstanding citizen! I'll never steal! Especially not from my own boss… You can ask Mr. Smith!"

Whi-Two was beginning to feel the trembling of the man's legs. It was powerful enough to let the scaffolding tremble as well, and in turn, making it harder for her to balance herself. She lets herself a glance of the window, and realized that she's gone farther than she intended.

It was either she make it or break it from here.

"Mr. Smith took me in even if I was an immigrant… He… He loaned me a house! He paid for wife's burial! And… And my daughter's medication! He healed Cindy!"

There was a forlorn look in the man's eyes, which scared Whi-Two. He looked shaken by a thought.

"But Cindy's dead now…"

"Sir…?" she tries, her outstretched hand beginning to wave around as she tried to balance herself. The trembling was getting worse.

 _Oh, no..._

"Cindy… She… She died!"

The man was screaming now. He started stomping onto the plank. The board that held them together shook violently, almost enough to shake the young detective off.

Whi-Two loses her footing and falls to her knees. The other officers start screaming.

"Inspector, she's gonna fall!" Leo cries. He showed signs of climbing up the ledge, but was stopped by Lack-Two's poisonous stare. Whimpering, the young officer backs away.

Lack-Two returns his watchful eye on Whi-Two.

The girl was still trying to calm the old man down.

"Sir…" she was saying, her voice loud yet tender. "I understand that you're getting desperate but endangering yourself like this is not the answer! Please…" She stretches her arm towards him.

"Take my hand… We'll save you!"

But the man only continued stomping. Whi-Two had to hold on for dear life.

"Mr. Panama, please calm yourself down!"she cries.

"Those wretched doctors… They said they won't help Cindy unless I pay my debt! I told them that I would! In due time! But they didn't believe me…! They said I've never payed them a single penny! I told them that Mr. Smith would pay… But they said that Mr. Smith never said anything! They lied! They just didn't want to save my daughter… They…"

His voice died down as he finally looks at Whi-Two with large eyes. Whi-Two looks back at him with almost the same expression.

Then he finally grabs her outstretched arm, but only to pull her in closer to him.

"You!" He cries. "She should've been as old as you!"

Whi-Two tightens her hold onto her portion of the board, but the man keeps on yanking her.

Back at the window, Lack-Two prepares his pistol. He then starts hoisting himself up the ledge.

"Sir, stop!" Whi-Two was crying, feeling her fingers slip away from the board. She couldn't fight his force.

The man proved to be too strong due to his rage.

"What rights have _you_ to live?! What rights have you to be here when my Cindy couldn't? What right have all of you have?!"

"Sir!"

"You're the one who should be dead! Not Cindy!"

"Sir, please stop!"

"You! Should! Die-"

The sound of a bullet shot to the air astonishes both the old man and the young detective. It was enough for Whi-Two to lose hold of the board for a moment, and enough to scare the man to lose his own footing. He was about to fall back, to the pile of broken glass fifteen feet down, dragging Whi-Two along with him, when Lack-Two reaches forward and grabs Whi-Two by the hip. With a heavy grunt, the inspector pulls Whi-Two towards him. Whi-Two tries to reach for the falling man with her other, free hand, but the man takes his dagger and slices her arm. The girl screams in pain, making her let go.

"Mr. Panama!"

Whi-Two screams as the man falls down into abyss, the same forlorn look in his face.

Not long after, the sound of crashing was heard.

With a heavy grunt, Lack-Two pulls Whi-Two with one hand towards him, listening to her silent whimpers. He uses his other hand as support, holding onto a metal bar that kept him and the shaking detective in place. Soon, Whi-Two was able to regain her footing onto the ledge with Lack-Two's help, and the first thing she does is bury her face to her superior's chest, and continue crying.

Lack-Two could only land his free hand on the back of her head as she did.

"It's okay…" he whispers, almost inaudibly, watching the deep and dark abyss where the man fell into, the same forlorn look he's last seen now reflecting on his face. Then he returns his gaze to his mentee, who still grabbed onto his uniform like it was her life.

"It's okay…" he says again, against his deep and heavy breaths.

"It's okay, Detective. It's okay…"

He then locks eyes with the other officers on standby who were watching the scene with blank eyes. They all shared the same look, and most likely the same thought.

Lack-Two abhorred that thought.

He clears his throat, and returns his stern expression.

"What are you waiting for?! Move out!"

-...-

Whi-Two feels a soft blanket drape around her trembling shoulders, completely covering her blood-stained uniform. She wasn't able to tell who did it or why as her eyes were still as blank as they were when the others led her down the building, her gaze still focused nowhere.

"I-I hope you're feeling a little better now, Detective," a male voice almost stammered near her. "I-If there's anything else I can help you with, I'd be more than happy to help out…"

Whi-Two slightly raises her face to see who it was, but upon doing so, immediately drops her face back to its original position.

The HNT officer simply brushes the back of his head in awkwardness.

"Uhm... " he tries again. "Y-You were pretty brave out there, by the way! The way you were able to save that kid! You really handled the situation pretty well despite being a newbie! I mean, saving Mr. Panama would've been a stretch but…"

A soft but almost inhuman moan escapes Whi-Two lips as she starts crying again. The boy was in shambles.

"Lario!" A deep voice barks. The young officer straightens himself up upon seeing Lack-Two approach. Whi-Two, however, retains ground.

It made Lack-Two even more displeased.

The young officer desperately tries to make up a salute.

"Sir…" he greets.

Lack-Two's face does not change.

"This isn't your post, Officer," he says in a dangerous tone. The other shrinks in fear.

"Y-Yes, Sir, I know that but…" he trails off, landing a concerned gaze at the sniffling girl. Lack-Two, too, lands his gaze on her.

Then he crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"It's not like you can do anything about her."

Leo looks at Lack-Two with an almost unbelieving face. He was about to point something out when the inspector gives him another dangerous look.

"Did I not say this isn't your post?"

The boy loses his response, and merely salutes before walking away.

Lack-Two watches him for a while before landing his gaze on the girl.

"I'm not expecting a report on this coming from you," he begins, averting his gaze elsewhere. "You weren't supposed to be involved in the first place…"

Whi-Two does not reply. Lack-Two lets out a sigh.

"...But any words coming from you right now would be greatly appreciated."

He steals another momentary glance at her, before slowly lifting his eyes away. Another long and heavy sigh escapes his lungs as he slowly move closer to her, and then, after making sure no one was looking, he gently lands his hand on her bowed head.

"It's okay..."

-...-

"Thank you for coming, Detective. Please have a seat."

Superintendent Aldin's voice flowed almost musically, shooting pangs of warmth across Whi-Two's rather frozen spine. It melts away the stiffness that caused her whole body to arch uncomfortably since she first stepped in their station that morning.

Everything felt normal all of a sudden, with the officers still running around and throwing commands and bantering at one another. She still dragged herself along the same tiled floors, towards the same swivelling chair by the same almost-empty desk, in the same, little cubicle, facing the same anticlimactic paperwork.

It all felt... _ordinary._ As if everything that had transpired from two nights ago was nothing but a nightmare.

A nightmare that kept plaguing her mind the more she tried to consume herself into the world of everyday policeman stress.

Mr. Panama's blank eyes still haunted Whi-Two, regardless whether her eyes were closed or not, and the sound of his body crashing into a lake of broken glass and steel debris muted even her screams whenever she was brutally pulled from her slumber.

Whi-Two stifled a yawn as she watched their Superintendent lower himself to his seat, his hands hovering over his well-kept desk in search of his glasses. The older man fiddles with it for a moment before gently pushing it against the bridge of his nose. Then he looks up to her, just in time to see her slowly leaning to her side.

"Exciting evening last night, I presume?" he asks, a small smile forming underneath his graying moustache. Whi-Two immediately straightens up. Stiff.

"S-Sorry, Superintendent," she mumbles. "I, uh…" She raises her right hand and starts rubbing her eyes with her thumb and index finger.

"I'm sorry…"

The Superintendent lets out a chuckle, and gives her a reassuring nod, telling her that it was fine. Whi-Two could feel the stiffness melt away again.

"I suppose you're wondering why you're here, Detective?" Aldin continues.

"Affirmative, Sir," was Whi-Two's sudden reply, earning yet another chuckle from the old man. She had to shrink a bit in embarrassment.

"I-I mean, yes, Superintendent..." Then she takes a moment to steal the man a glance, and finally gathers up the courage to ask Aldin what was on her mind the whole time that she was there in his office.

"Am I in trouble, Sir?"

The superintendent gives her a kind smile.

"Why would you think so, my dear?"

Whi-Two feels her body stiffen again as she arches her back to try and sit straight.

"Because I refused to follow my superior's orders, Sir…?" She sounded quite unsure, like her response was more of a question than a proper answer.

"My inspector was clear in saying that I shouldn't have tagged along. And when we were there, he was also clear that I remain out of anyone's way and not do anything stupid…" She swallows for a moment."

"But instead, I took charge despite these orders and…" Her shoulders drop as she feels an uncomfortable sensation in her stomach.

"It costed me someone's life…"

Aldin nods gently.

"Is that what Inspector Lack-Two told you this morning?"

Whi-Two shoots the man a confused look.

Now that he's mentioned it, Lack-Two wasn't in her case this morning. In fact, he didn't even show his face to her at all, despite it being a Monday, and Mondays are the days when he gets slightly bitchier, throwing paperwork at her after another. Today, she didn't even hear his voice.

"I-Inspector didn't say anything…?"

Aldin suddenly chuckles to himself.

"Well, if your inspector whose sole purpose in life seems to be to shout at you didn't come at you with everything he's got, what makes you think I called you here to be reprimanded?"

Again, another confused look. But, Whi-Two found the decency to try and summon a smile.

He was kind of right.

"In this line of work, Detective, you can technically do whatever you want, as long as you can justify yourself through the written reports." Aldin takes a stack of papers filled with walls of printed texts and drops them to other side of his desk.

"And so far, according to the ones written by your co-officers who were at the crime scene, your actions have been justified."

Whi-Two blinks. _Co-officers?_ She thought. _So including Lack-Two?_

"T-Then…?"

Aldin smiles.

"I called to personally give this to you." He takes a piece of paper from on his desk's drawers and hands it to her. Whi-Two reaches for it, still a forlorn look in her face.

"W-What is this, Sir?"

"Go show it to your inspector," Aldin replies, standing up and walking towards the door. He takes the knob and pulls the door open, gesturing for Whi-Two to leave.

"He'll know what to do."

-...-

Whi-Two reads and rereads the piece of paper as she made her way to her inspector's office. Though she knew she could make sense of the words that turn into sentences, she still couldn't decipher what these sentences meant, let alone what they had to do with her. Or with Lack-Two.

Most specially with Lack-Two.

The young detective takes a deep, exasperated breath.

Just when she thought the stress has already reached its peak.

Lack-Two's door was slightly ajar when she reaches it. She could already see him from where she stood, sitting by his table, eyes tired but focused as they remain glued to his screen.

He didn't seem like he was in a sour mood, like how she would've expected. Exhausted, probably, but overall laxed.

It scared Whi-Two.

Slowly, she raises her right hand, and raps on the door.

Lack-Two snappily raises his gaze from his screen to the girl by his door. He pauses from his work from a moment to give her a look.

Whi-Two anticipated a scowl, but all she got was an inward wave of his hand.

 _Come in._

The girl obeys without a word.

"G-Good morning, Sir," she softly greets, performing a salute.

Lack-Two returns her greeting with a nod, taking a moment to save his work before fully facing her.

"Sit down," he says, gesturing at a chair right next to her.

Again, the girl just does as she was told.

Lack-Two clears his throat.

"I take it you just came from Superintendent's office?"

Whi-Two takes a moment to look somewhere else before nodding.

"Yes, Sir."

The inspector raises a brow. "And…?"

Instead of answering, the girl's eyes fall on the piece of paper on her hand. Then, slowly, she hands it to him.

Lack-Two takes it rather gently and takes a short moment to read through it.

Then his eyebrows raise.

"You're kidding me…"

Whi-Two feels her throat constrict.

"...S-Sir?" she was able to muster.

"Is something the matter?"

Lack-Two eyes her with apprehension.

"Superintendent didn't tell you anything?"

The girl hesitantly nods. "No, Sir…"

"Seriously?!" The sudden rise in Lack-Two's normally dark and fearsome voice shocked Whi-Two, making her feel several emotions at once. She grabs onto both sides of her chair and let her body shrink a bit. She didn't know if it was because of the trauma or the lack of sleep that was making her extra fragile, but all of a sudden, she didn't want to even be in her inspector's line of sight. It only made her feel dread.

Whi-Two anticipated him to berate her (like how she had been for the past two days), but, to her surprise, Lack-Two only releases a sigh of frustration as he rolls his eyes.

"I swear to God, that old man…" He glances at the paper again.

"You've heard of Stress Debriefing, correct?"

Whi-Two takes a moment to decide if that question was directed to her.

"Yes, Sir…" she whispers. "They do that to help police officers recover from traumatizing events, right?

A splash of realization suddenly hits the girl.

"Is this about the previous case?"

Lack-Two ignores her.

"I don't know how you do it back in Aspertia, but here in Nimbasa, SDs are done upon the request of a superior, and how it's going to be done is at the discretion of the concerned officer's direct inspector." He returns his gaze to her.

"In your case, that would be me."

Whi-Two looks at him incredulously.

"Don't worry," Lack-Two addresses her. "I'm just as bothered as you are about this." He sighs as he rereads the document one last time.

"But for the Superintendent himself to ask…"

The inspector's lips were suddenly pressed into a thin line. Whi-Two had to clear her throat to break the silence.

"...Sir?"

Lack-Two suddenly moves, laying down the document on his table. He takes a pen and starts scribbling his signature on it.

"Very well. Go home."

Whi-Two's eyes widen as she watches him.

"Inspector…?"

He gives her a look.

"You're done for the day. Go home."

"But, Sir, I just got here and…"

"I know." He starts folding the piece of paper.

"Go home."

"Sir-"

"Do whatever you want in the next five hours-getting some sleep would be my sincerest suggestion-and then come back."

Whi-Two shakes her head in confusion.

"In the next five hours…? My shift's had ended by then!"

Lack-Two ignores her and starts for the door.

"I know," he replies. "Mine too."

"T-Then, why…"

"Why else do you think?" Lack-Two twists the knob of his door and pulls it open.

Then he gives her a smile.

"Stress debriefing."

-...-

Whi-Two stares at the time flashed on her phone's screen and heaves a sigh. It has been officially four hours and fifty-three minutes since her inspector kicked her out of the station and asked her to come back five hours later.

 _Seven minutes early_ , she thinks to herself with self-conditioned relief. She leans upon the railings by the side of the road, watching from across the road as the streetlights around the Nimbasa station turn on one by one, illuminating the rather bland establishment, giving it life.

This was one of the very few things she had learned to love about Nimbasa in the span of three weeks that she had been staying there. She liked the city lights, though not as much as the star lights she had greatly enjoyed back in Aspertia.

In Aspertia, she had the luxury of seeing all the stars she could possibly want to see. All she had to do was look up. Now, even if she glues her eyes to the sky, with all her might, she'd see nothing.

Whi-Two feels another quiver on her lower lip. She had to mentally slap herself.

 _You promised yourself that you'd stop._

"It takes a lot of getting used to"—that's what Colonel Rikhards told her earlier on when she decided to give him a call. Thank God, Mondays were his days off, otherwise Whi-Two wouldn't know where else would she run.

Living in of the most densely-populated cities in this country, you'd think that it shouldn't be possible to be this lonely, and yet here she was.

The girl proceeds to close her eyes, which was a mistake, as all the memories from her last case came flooding towards, filling her before she could even stop herself from being filled. A hiccup escapes her throat, and soon, she feels tears seeping through her tightly-shut eyes.

Whi-Two had no choice but to succumb to tears in the most conspicuous of places. Yet again.

Slowly, she raised both her hands to cover her face, gently enough so as to not get too much attention. (Although, the girl had doubted it, what with the people of Nimbasa walking to and fro at light speed, refusing to make any form of eye contact with any person they meet.)

Then she feels something touch the top of her head gently. Whi-Two's arms drop in shock.

Her inspector's dark brown eyes were staring her down with an undecipherable expression. The girl could only stare back, her eyes involuntarily blinking the tears away.

"Whi-Two." His voice was calm, gentle, and almost robotic, it was almost like he was identifying her rather than acknowledging her.

"Sir," she whispers back. Then she immediately comes to her senses and frantically tries to perform yet another sloppy salute, shaking away Lack-Two's hand in the process.

"G-Good evening, Inspector!" Then she takes note of how he looked as he stared back at her: normal shoes, normal pants, a normal shirt covered almost completely by his fading blue jacket (which Whi-Two had long deemed normal), and a normal expression painted on his rather shocked face. Whi-Two's arm slowly drops back to her side.

"S-Sorry…"

"No, don't be," he finally replies, returning the hand she shook away back to his pocket.

"You're early, so that's a good thing." Then he gives her a quick look before heaving a soft sigh.

"And you came, which saves me the trouble of having to come and get you." He then turns to his right and starts walking.

"Let's go."

To that, Whi-Two blinks again, this time in confusion.

"E-Er, what…? Wait!"

The boy stops, and turns to her. Whi-Two just watches him with the same expression.

"'Let's go'? That's it? I don't even know what I'm doing here! Why did you make me come back?"

To that, Lack-Two just sighs, as he always does when people ask him just about anything. Whi-Two doesn't feel as annoyed by it as she used to when she was first assigned to him, and perhaps that was progress for her.

But she still didn't get him. At all.

"I needed to borrow something," he replies in his usual, dreary tone. Whi-Two's forehead only creased further.

"What…?"

The expression embedded over Lack-Two's face doesn't change.

"You."

To that, Whi-Two glowed, her reflexes telling her body to initiate a defensive stance. Her hands immediately clutched onto her purse, readying herself to run away the moment he tries to make any sudden movement. The image from their first case together suddenly running through her mind like a broken record.

Lack-Two could only roll his eyes.

"Relax, you malicious airhead," he calls out, this time a bit louder. Whi-Two pouts, but nonetheless does as she was told out of reflex.

"I'm just going to show you around Nimbasa…"

-...-

"Show me around Nimbasa…?" Whi-Two whispers unbelievingly to herself. Then she notices that her inspector was on the move again, his pace notably slower than usual, meaning he was actually expecting her to try and keep up. He _wanted_ her to try and keep up.

The girl considered for a moment, and after realizing that anything was in fact substantially better than her wallowing in her despair back at her apartment, she throws away whatever wariness she had of her inspector and began jogging after him.

It didn't take her that long to catch up, and soon, she was walking side by side with him, her eyes focused momentarily on the ground before finally finding the courage to say something else.

"Sir, why…"

"How long have you been staying here in Nimbasa, Detective?"

The questions throws the girl off for a second, but she complies nonetheless.

"A-About three weeks, sir." Then she thinks for a moment.

"Five, if you consider my stay at that… _place_ where you and I met." She looks up to see if his expression would change at all, but all she got was a slight bob of his head.

"Have you ever tried going around?"

Again, Whi-Two tries to note a change in his expression, but fails.

"No, sir. I never found the time to do so."

"Why?" Lack-Two's stride was getting a bit faster, catching Whi-Two off guard. But still, she was able to keep up.

"Too busy thinking about Aspertia?"

At that, Whi-Two pauses, feeling suddenly offended. Lack-Two doesn't stop for her, but once again, his stride becomes slower. He was still in earshot when Whi-Two answers with a rather indignant, "yes".

"As a matter of fact, I do, sir." Lack-Two again doesn't stop.

But his stride grows even slower.

"I think about Aspertia a lot," Whi-Two continues. "About how spacious it was there. How bright the night sky was despite not having as much street lights as Nimbasa. How peaceful. How _friendly_ …." She then sighs resignedly, finally allowing her legs to follow and keep up with him.

He didn't seem like he was listening, anyway.

"...And respectful. And welcoming. And…" Her voice trails off as she feels another lump on her throat. She lets out a long, dejected sigh, letting her tensed up shoulders gradually drop.

"And far away…"

She looks up at her inspector as soon as she caught up with him, and finds that his eyes were still focused forward, as they had been since they started walking.

 _You're just wasting your breath_ , she thought to herself. _He doesn't care._

"I'm not really sure how that feels like," Lack-Two suddenly speaks up, much to the girl's surprise.

"But I guess that's a good thing, that kind of longing that you're feeling right now. It means you have some place that you feel most strongly about. You only get to realize that when you start living far away from it."

He then finally lands a gaze on her, and notes the look in her eyes. It makes him smile a little.

"But I suggest you consider trying to explore Nimbasa while you're here. Might as well discover what this city has to offer for you."

Then he suddenly stops, almost making the girl fall over after having to do the same without prior warning. She looks up at him again questioningly, and he gestures at the large space to his right. Whi-Two follows his gaze, and what greets her immediately replaces all the confusion with awe.

Whi-Two was too caught up with trying to keep up with her inspector's inconsistent strides that she did not realize that they had walked as far as the Nimbasa square,which was a good deal of a distance from the station. The girl had only heard of this place before, and maybe passed by it every now and then when she's on patrol, but never in her entire stay here has she seen the park in its prime, and now that she was here, she had never regretted anything more in her life.

The park was arguably small, as compared to the many, many recreational areas back home, but what it lacked in space, it made up with so much more. Whi-Two had already journeyed her eyes around it more than once, but it seems that everytime she'd land her gaze on one spot, there was always something new to see.

Warm-colored lights donned the entire space, giving it an eerie feeling peace. It had more greeneries than the rest of the city combined, and yet Whi-Two could still tell that it belonged to an urban landscape. In the middle was a rather peculiar square-shaped structure-a small yet colorful fountain fenced by marble stones with texts etched in them.

The girl had to look down to for a moment to catch a break.

"Wow," she breathes. From the corner of her eyes, she watches her inspector shuffle a bit-a little uncomfortably, at least from her point of view-before turning to her.

"Beautiful, huh?" he asks, his voice losing its typical stern tone altogether. Whi-Two is slightly taken aback in surprise.

"Y-Yeah…" she breathes, following suit when her commander returns his gaze towards the fountain.

"Of all the things to love about Nimbasa, this is my favorite one. Come."

The two walk nearer to the fountain in silence. As they go near, Whi-Two begins to notice small flags and occasional bouquets of flowers donning the marble fence. Lack-Two leads her to one side, where a set of words were written such that it would be the first thing one would read the moment they go near.

Whi-Two traces the etched text with her finger.

"'Here lies the dearly departed who were victims of the dreaded...'" Her eyes glowed in recognition. She immediately raises her head to look at her mentor.

"This is...?"

Her inspector simply shrugs.

"This fountain was built in memory of those who died during that incident three years ago that happened at this very spot…"

"The Nimbasa Bombing of 2012," the girl mouths softly.

"That's right. One of Unova history's biggest mark. Also the UPD Nimbasa Division's."

"Oh, yeah... UPD Nimbasa was there to respond that time. It actually earned us our high credentials, right?" Then a quick thought occurred to her, making her finally understand the rather melancholic stance the other was making since the moment they stepped in that small space.

"Were you there, Inspector...?"

She watches Lack-Two shift uncomfortably again, this time a little bit more noticeably than before. His shoulders were stiff, though not in the same way they would when he was at work. It was the stiffness one would see in person helplessly trying to open old wounds.

"Yes," he finally replies, his voice still surprisingly stable. "It was the case that earned me my immediate promotion as senior inspector. Could have been one of my most crowning moments if it weren't for the fact that it left quite a lasting memory on me…"

His voice evidently trailed off, making Whi-Two hesitate, but her curiosity bested her, and before she could stop herself, her mouth opens on its own volition.

"What happened?"

Luckily, Lack-Two did not lash out, and instead obediently answers what was asked of him.

He points to a name.

"'Leslie Hemmingway'..." he reads out loud. Quickly.

"Aged 7 or 8. Her parents were one of the hostages, as both were employees working in the tower where the crime was held. Leslie was one of the civilians who wanted to force their way into the tower, in hope that heeding the terrorists' demand of more people to get in the building could stop them. The police were able to to calm them down, and for the longest time, the crowd was under control as the UPD Response team were doing their best to negotiate." Another evident shuffle.

"...But then, the first bomb was activated."

Whi-Two's breath hitches. Her eyes immediately fly back to her inspector.

"Everyone was suddenly panicking," Lack-Two recounts. "They wanted to get through the barricade. I was assigned to the station where Leslie was. They were a rowdy bunch and we had to support the barracks with our own bodies just to stop them. But Leslie, being small... She was able to slip through. The others weren't able to notice her, but I did. And I wanted to run after her and stop her. But if I let go…"

"...More people could've died," Whi-Two finishes for him.

"Right. I had to listen as Leslie made her way to the building, crying for her parents... Then the second bomb was activated."

And there it was: the first time Whi-Two hears her inspector's voice hitch. It was so soft that it was almost incomprehensible, but she's heard it, and it made her feel...different. Like the person beside her was different.

"Thankfully, that was the last explosion," Lack-Two was saying. "The squad led by Superintendent was able to subdue the terrorists, but yeah…" He shrugs.

"We still lost some lives, including an innocent little girl who just wanted to be with her mom and dad." Lack-Two heaves a sigh before biting his lips.

"I can never forget that girl's face... I feel like I see it, everywhere I look, acting as a constant reminder that I... messed up. At the expense of a little girl's life."

Whi-Two involuntary reaches for him without thinking.

"It wasn't your fault, Sir…"

At that, Lack-Two gives her a knowing look. Whi-Two feels her cheeks burn as she tries to look away.

"I…" she begins, but is cut off by Lack-Two's soft chuckle. Whi-Two had to do a double-take.

Lack-Two _chuckled_.

"You're a policeman, detective," he continues. "You should know as much as I do that, in this line of work, you can't save everyone. You can only save a majority-but even that alone is hard enough. You have to make the right decisions. Choose the right paths. Even if, sometimes, it means sacrificing others."

The amused look from a while ago gradually disappears from Lack-Two's face, and was replaced by something else entirely. Something not even Whi-Two could decipher.

But, whatever it was, she could feel herself melting to it.

"Sir, I…"

She half-expected him to cut her off again, but this time, his eyes were focused on her, as if he was expecting her to talk this time. Although, she didn't know what to say.

So she let out the first thing that popped into her head.

"Thank you."

Lack-Two only blinks, his expression still the same as before, his eyes still fixed on her. Whi-Two tries to find it in herself to smile at him.

"It means a lot to me, Sir, what you said." She starts fiddling with her bag's strap. "I've been… talking to some former colleagues, and they say more or less the same thing, but somehow… your words resonate more to me. Maybe it's because you went through the same thing I did?" She lands a quick gaze on the marble stone.

"With Leslie…"

Lack-Two takes some time before following her gaze. Then he clicks his tongue.

"Maybe," he says. "But I hope you don't end up like me." Whi-Two looks at him. He stares back.

"I sincerely hope you recover from this, Whi-Two."

It was her turn to let a soft chuckle escape her.

"Hopefully. But it might take a while for me. Everything is still so foreign. It's… unbelievably hard to understand everything."

Lack-Two nods.

"Don't worry about understanding," he says. "You don't have to understand everything. It doesn't work that way. You can be in this business for as long as I have been, or even longer than that, and you still won't understand." He shrugs.

"I never did."

Whi-Two looks at him.

"So, why do you keep going?"

Her inspector gives her an amused look.

"Why do you?"

The two share a look, and without any warning, they both find themselves laughing softly to one another. Lack-Two's laughter dies down first, and he falls into a deep, stunned silence as he watches Whi-Two giggling to herself-the first time since they saw each other this morning that she smiled a sincere smile-with her eyes shining as she did. The latter soon notices, and she had to look down embarrassed.

"Sorry," Lack-Two mumbles, shyly looking away. "I didn't mean to stare. This is actually very foreign to me." He shifts again.

"Never had someone to bring around here before. It feels weird."

It was Whi-Two's turn to shift awkwardly, and he suppresses it with a reassuring smile.

"But it's a good kind of weird…"

Whi-Two smiles again.

"Thank you," she whispers, this time with more sincerity. "For bringing me here."

"Thank you," the boy replies, watching her eyes glimmer underneath the fountain lights.

"...For joining me."

-...-

Music started playing suddenly, and the two notices a group of people flocking towards a portion of the plaza. Two men were standing in the middle of the growing crowd, one with a trumpet while the other an acoustic guitar.

"Street performers," Lack-Two mutters. Then he catches Whi-Two's questioning stare, so he adds: "Very common around here."

Whi-Two nods robotically, shifting her gaze to the two men.

"It's my first time seeing them," she mumbles. "We don't get much of these back in Aspertia…"

Lack-Two just blinks at her, still watching the lights dance on her irises, feeling fascinated. Then he clears his throat, and then starts moving forward.

"Let's go near," he invites, taking her by the hand and leading her nearer to them.

"…And so, ladies and gentlemen," the man with the guitar was saying. He had a heavy and playful accent, Whi-Two notices.

"Let us make the most of this wonderful evening together with this next ballad. If the lovely audience would feel the need to sway along with the music, then by all means, feel free. Our aim is to create a wonderful mood here in Nimbasa."

He starts plucking some strings as he gives a nod at the audience.

"This one is from way back home," he says. "One of the very first English songs I've learned to play."

Then his hand slides down and strums a note as his low, husky voice begins singing.

" _Look how she lights up the sky"_

"Wow…" Whi-Two breathes from beside Lack-Two, whose eyes he kept focused on anywhere else but her.

"His voice is magical."

" _Ma Belle Evangeline"_

"That's French," Lack-Two notices. "Foreign performers, I see…"

Whi-Two feels her superior tense up for a moment, and then eases back to his calm stance immediately after.

"That's new…"

Lack-Two looks down for a moment, and realizes that he was still holding his subordinate's hand. Whi-Two was too occupied to notice it, seeing that she's trying to peer through the crowd to see the two play their instruments.

" _So far above me yet I"_

Carefully, he squeezes her hand, and finds it amusing that the girl barely notices.

" _Know her heart belongs to only me."_

At that, he finds himself smiling again.

" _Je t'adore."_

"I adore you."

" _Je t'aime."_

"I love you."

" _Evangeline…"_

Whi-Two looks up at Lack-Two, wide-eyed.

"Just translating," the boy explains with a shrug, loosening his hold.

"You understand French?" she asks.

"Learning," he shrugs again as he returns his gaze towards the singer.

"Although, those phrases are actually really common, even someone who's never heard the French language before would know what that means."

Whi-Two puffs her cheeks a little.

 _She_ didn't.

" _You're my queen of the night,_

 _So still,_

 _So bright."_

Some of the people from the audience start exchanging gazes, while some were already hand-in-hand, bodies squeezed together, and were swaying gently to the music. The others, including Whi-Two, watched them wistfully. She unconsciously leans a little to Lack-Two's arms as if she was swooning.

Again, Lack-Two just watches her.

" _That someone as beautiful as she,_

 _Could love someone like me."_

Whi-Two suddenly feels her hand being lifted upwards, and she turns her head to find Lack-Two still holding it, giving her a knowing smile.

"May I?" he invites, already reaching out to her waist with his other hand.

The girl immediately breaks away, and takes a few steps back.

"N-No…" she whispers. The look on Lack-Two's face somehow hurt her.

" _Love always finds a way it's true! "_

"I-I don't dance…" she explains sadly. Then she sighs, looking at how the rest of the crowd were already lost in their own little worlds.

"I never danced…"

" _And I love you, Evangeline."_

Lack-Two stares at her for a moment before chuckling to himself. He then reaches for her hand and pulls her close gently.

"If you can easily pin me down while cocking a gun at my head," the boy says firmly as he places his free hand on her hip.

"Then, you can dance."

The man with the trumpet starts joining in, creating an upbeat melody, and by now, almost everyone was swaying to the rhythm, including the man with the guitar. He starts swaying his hips as he closed his eyes, letting his fingers dance along with the strings.

"Relax," Lack-Two was saying to the slightly dumbfounded girl. "I'll take the lead for now. Just listen to the music, and wait until your feet can feel the 'quick, quick, slow' beat." He closes his eyes for a moment, and listens.

"There it is."

And gently but firmly, he leads both their bodies back, and before Whi-Two could protest, they were moving in jive with the music, she letting her superior guide her with his muttering of 'quick, quick, slow'.

" _Love is beautiful,"_

"See? You're getting it." Lack-Two chuckles again as he takes another step back, and he twirls the girl smoothly, stepping forward in time to catch her before she falls.

Then he steps back again, taking her with him to a gentle waltz.

" _Love is wonderful!"_

"Hopefully," Whi-Two stammers, grabbing Lack-Two's arm immediately in fear of stumbling forward. She looks helplessly at her feet's movement, trying desperately to follow Lack-Two's smooth steps.

"I said 'relax'," Lack-Two laughs, making his hold on her waist a bit firmer. "And stop looking at your feet—you're making them nervous. Raise your head and look at your partner, instead."

" _Love is everything."_

Whi-Two looks up as she was told, and catches Lack-Two's face as his laughter dies down, catching the moment where his face was being drained of any residue of amusement, save for his eyes that still had that playful glint.

She feels her stomach sink a little, but it wasn't out of sadness, for once.

It was something different.

" _Do you agree?"_

Lack-Two notices her staring, and he unconsciously pauses for a moment, looking back at her.

" _Mais oui!"_

"Uhm…" Whi-Two began, looking away, feeling embarrassed again.

"W-What did he just say?"

Lack-Two blinks for a moment before realizing what she meant.

"It means 'but yes'," he answers softly. He gradually loosens his hold on her hand as he lowers it down. The same goes with the hand he placed on her waist.

Whi-Two nods as response to his gesture, and gives his shoulder one last squeeze before completely letting go.

" _Look how she lights up the sky,"_

"I told you I can't dance," Whi-Two tells him with a giggle. "Sorry you had to dance with such an awkward partner."

"No, no," Lack-Two assures her, raising his hand slightly to pat her shoulder, but only to drop it again.

He's realized he's been touching her too much this evening.

Lack-Two takes a deep breath.

"Honestly speaking, you're a lot better than Lai was…"

Whi-Two peers at him with her blue eyes.

"Inspector Lailani?"

"She once asked me to teach her back when we were still in the Academy," he says matter-of-factly, followed by a shrug. "That girl has literally two left feet."

Whi-Two smiles ruefully.

"Oh."

The girl looks down and shift awkwardly for a moment, and then gives a sidelong glance.

Lack-Two notices the growing awkwardness, which he tries to ease by clearing his throat.

"Well, I hope you remember what I taught you. Who knows? You might use it in one of your undercover missions in the future."

The girl looks at him with an undecipherable expression, but she nods with a smile anyway.

Lack-Two gives her one last look, and feels a certain pang of bitterness when he notices that the colors from a while ago died down from his subordinate's eyes. Then he had to mentally berate himself, thinking that there was no room for such thoughts.

He's let his guard down for too long. It was time to go back.

"It grows late, Detective. If there's nothing else," he begins. Whi-Two looks up at him.

Lack-Two sighs.

"...Then you're dismissed."

" _I love you, Evangeline."_

 **-Mission_4 Status: Accomplished-**

" _ **Sectors are sub-units that are only formed whenever the need arises, headed by assigned Field Commanders. They answer directly to their respective Units, and are headed officially by their Unit inspector. However, as Sectors are officiated on a by-need basis, their inspectors often consider them independent of their Units. Not all units have Sectors. A prominent example would be the Hostage Negotiations Team under the Special Response Unit." - Excerpt from the UPD Trooper's Manual, Chapter 1 - Appendix: A Special Note on Sectors**_

 ** _A/N: The song used is called "Ma Belle Evangeline" from Disney's Princess and the Frog._ THAT _scene was also based on the same movie._**


	5. Mission5

**Mission 5: Family Reunion**

Whi-Two charges into Lack-Two's office just in time to catch her mentor getting ready to leave.

"Inspector!" she cries, running towards him without so much as a greeting. Lack-Two had to step back in surprise.

"Thank goodness I caught up with you!"

"Why, what's wrong?" Lack-Two asks, letting go of his bag.

"I messed up, Inspector! I messed up so bad!"

Lack-Two's eyebrows merge in bafflement.

"Why? What happened?"

The girl's lips were trembling, making it hard for him to understand what she was saying. It didn't help that her voice was too hoarse for comfort.

"My family…"

"What happened to your family?"

Lack-Two grabs both her shoulders and shakes her slightly, hoping it was enough to wake her from her sudden surge of panic. Whi-Two had been under him for almost two months and counting, and this is the first time he's seen her this distressed.

And to think that this involved her family...

"Whi-Two, calm down!"

The same expression was still smeared across her flushed face, but there was a hint of recognition in her eyes at the sound of his voice saying his name. Lack-Two fought to reach her through that.

"Breathe, Whi-Two," he orders, his voice now softer in fear of losing her if he played along with her panic dance He starts rubbing her shoulders gently.

"Calm down, and breathe…"

The girl finally shows signs of responding to his voice, earning her a sigh of relief from her superior. She nods, and did as she was told. After taking a few, deep breaths, she hears Lack-Two speak again:

"Now, tell me what happened."

Whi-Two looks up to him with scared eyes.

"Sir…"

"Yes?"

"My family, Sir…"

"What about your family?"

"I…"

Lack-Two darts her a look of slight impatience. He starts bouncing his head slightly, in jive with the way she did as tries to catch her breath.

"You…?"

"I lied to them, Sir," Whi-Two inhales through gritted teeth. Then she winces.

"I told them you were my boyfriend."

The girl immediately opens her eyes to see how her inspector reacted. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it was certainly not what was laid before her.

Lack-Two only remains frozen, his eyes still on her. It does not change, making Whi-Two slightly afraid that her Inspector finally broke. But then she starts feeling his hands growing heavier on her shoulders.

"You did what?" he asks, his voice dark.

Whi-Two's lips were pressed into a thin line as she looked up at him again, her eyes connoting fear.

"I'm so sorry, Sir," she whimpers.

Lack-Two blinks. Once. Twice. As he did, his hands gradually slides away from Whi-Two's shoulders. Then, he slowly turns and walks back to his desk, returning to what he was initially doing before Whi-Two barged into his office.

"S-Sir…?"

"...Get out."

-...-

"But, _Sir_!"

"No."

Whi-Two gives out a weary sigh as she tries to hasten her pace to catch up with him. Thankfully, her legs were almost as long as his. It didn't take long for her to reach him by the shoulder.

"Sir, please hear me out first!" she pleads. Lack-Two harshly shakes her hand away from him.

"I said that the answer is 'no', Detective. Now please leave me alone."

"But, Sir!"

"No!"

Several heads bob towards their direction. All had eyes that blinked with confusion, mostly directed to Lack-Two who was noticeably more verbal than anyone would have expected him to. The head of the SUU feels the unwanted attention surround him, and not long after, he decides that he could not take it, especially not when his shift was just about done.

With immense dread, he grabs Whi-Two by the wrist and starts dragging her towards the station's exit, towards the small garden by its side. Thankfully, it was already evening, and the people who frequent that small space were no longer there, earning him and his unusually loud mentee the privacy their conversation needed.

When he was sure they were out of majority's earshot, he drops the girl's hand and stares her down in annoyance.

"Explain yourself," he demands, crossing his arms over his chest in the indignant manner that he often does. By now, Whi-Two was used to it, which made him doubt that it would have any effect on her, but he didn't care.

Lack-Two was mad, and Whi-Two should know that.

But the girl only returns him a determined look.

She looks like she's about to cry.

"Well?" he prods, having none of that. At that, Whi-Two finally takes a deep breath.

"Somebody saw us, Sir."

The inspector raises an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

The girl bites her lips and lets out another whimper. Lack-Two remains unmoved.

"My mom's friend lives a few blocks from where I stay, and she knows me. Apparently, my mom asked her to keep an eyes out for me, and… she saw us at the park that other day…"

The annoyance in Lack-Two's face begins to disappear.

"...And the other night, too, Inspector. By the fountain."

"And she told your mother?"

Whi-Two nods sadly. Lack-Two gives out a groan as his hand flies to his head.

"And you told your mother what?"

"What _was_ I supposed to say?! I can't tell her we were undercover! She can't know that! And for that one time in the fountain… I don't even know how to explain _that_!"

Lack-Two caught on quickly. With all honesty, neither did he.

"So I told her the first thing I could think of!" Whi-Two continues, panic still evident in her voice. "I told her that you…" She catches a glimpse of her Inspector's scowl, and her voice immediately dies down.

Never had she seen the boy as annoyed as he was now.

"...W-Were my… boy…f-friend..." she finishes weakly. Then she abruptly bows in front of him.

" _I AM SO SORRY, SIR!_ " she cries in agony. "I swear to God, I didn't want to drag you into this! I-If I knew how to fix this, I would without the need to involve you, I promise! But… It all just happened so fast, and it's my family so I get desperate easily, so…"

"...Tell them we broke up."

Whi-Two raises her head to look at him.

"Sir?"

"I mean it," Lack-Two presses, fixing his bag. "Tell them we broke up. It's just that simple."

Whi-Two watches him with uncertainty.

"You want me… to lie, Sir?"

"Isn't that what you already did?" he points out with disdain.

"Y-Yes, Sir, but…"

"Call your mom right now and tell her that." Lack-Two fishes out his phone from his back pocket and hands it to her.

"I don't care how long this call would take. Just fix this mess up."

Whi-Two just eyes the phone for a moment. Lack-Two gives out a low grunt as he nears it to her.

Then, Whi-Two's own phone rings.

"E-Excuse me," she says, fishing it out from her pocket. She looks at the screen and slightly winces. Lack-Two watches on, slowly lowering his hand as the girl took a few deep breaths before sliding the icon to "answer".

"H-Hi, mom!" she squeaks, trying but failing to sound cheerful.

She gestures at Lack-Two sheepishly and then walks a few steps away. But, still, Lack-Two could easily overhear the conversation.

"Honey!" the disembodied voice cheerfully reverberates through the girl's device.

"Oh, I hope I didn't call you at a bad time, but I'm just too excited to deliver the news!"

"No, mom, I…"

"I called your cousins in Kalos!"

"Mom, listen, I…"

"I told them about your great news!"

"Mom, I—You did _what_?!"

"...And they told me that they're coming over for the holidays!"

"What?!"

"Yes! It was supposed to be a surprise, but they got so excited by my news that they spilled it almost too immediately! Can you believe it?! It'd be our first family reunion since lockdown! Aren't you excited?"

Whi-Two was already biting her fingers in agony. She catches her Inspector watching her little tableau with an undecipherable expression, and she furiously shakes her head as if to deny that this was part of her mistakes.

But still, the peculiar expression in Lack-Two's eyes remain.

"Rosa? Honey? Are you still there?"

Whi-Two could only internally scream.

 _Why me?_

"I-I'm still here, Mom…"

"...You don't seem happy, dear…"

"N-No! I'm happy! It's just… They're coming _here_? Isn't that kinda troublesome, considering the state Unova is in right now? I mean, the process to enter the country is so…"

"Getting _out_ of the country is a lot worse, dear. So they decided it was better that they come here."

"Mom…"

"That's why you simply must come home to Striaton for the holidays! Oh! And can you bring your boyfriend? Your cousins are _dying_ to meet him!"

"Mom, I..."

Whi-Two feels something grab her hand and snatch her phone away. She was about to react when her superior gestures for her to be quiet.

"Good evening," Lack-Two greets in his silvery, honeyed voice that sent chills through Whi-Two's spine.

"I'm very sorry for interrupting, but Detective Rosa is in the middle of her last minute errands before the holidays. I hope you don't mind if I take the conversation in her stead?"

There was a brief period of silence from the other line. And then Whi-Two's mom speaks again.

"Who is this?"

"I'm Nate, Mrs. Bilden," he replies. Then, with a slight wince, he adds:

"Rosa's boyfriend."

Whi-Two was horror-stricken.

" _You're_ my daughter's boyfriend?!" Mrs. Bilden cheers. "Oh, hello! My goodness, even your voice sounds charming!"

"How very kind of you, Mrs. Bilden," he smiles. "I'm honored to finally get to meet you, albeit impersonally. But I must say, with just this phone call, may I be so bold to say that you yourself are quite delightful. Truly, the apple does not fall far from the tree."

Whi-Two watches her mentor with disbelief.

"Good Lord…" she mumbles. Lack-Two gives her a stern look and hushes her the second time. Then he walks away such that Whi-Two could only hear his voice.

"Thank you, Mrs. Bilden… No, I don't have plans for that date… Hm? A family reunion? ...Oh, I see. Yes, that does sound lovely… Why, I'm honored… Yes. I'd love to drive Rosa there. Okay, Ma'am, I'll tell her. Okay. I'll see you in three days then. Of course. Thank you. And with you as well, Ma'am. Good night!"

He hits "End Call" and tosses the phone to the dumbfounded girl.

"Look alive, Detective," he says. "Send me your apartment's address by tonight. I'll be picking you up in three days."

"W-Why, Sir…?" she dare asks.

Lack-Two slings his bag over his shoulders with a grunt.

"Why else would I? We're going to Striaton to meet your family."

-...-

Whi-Two takes her fourteenth deep breath as she begins pacing the floor again.

"Okay," she mumbles. "Let's go through this again…" Her fifteenth deep breath, then she starts gesturing with her hands at nothing in particular.

"Alright, Rosa, Inspector Lack-Two is only doing this to save both our covers. He's doing this for the SUU! All while trying to conserve whatever dignity you still have left to your family… And it's not like this is something that's new for you… I mean, you played as a couple before! If you both play your cards right, maybe the night would end in both your favors… Have dinner, talk a little, keep Lack-Two away from Jeremy, and then send him home… Then wait a few weeks, and say you broke up because of schedule differences. Simple! And I'm pretty sure you don't have to kiss anymore… Yeah! Lack-Two knows his boundaries by now...And besides, he has voodoo, I think. He can charm his way out of anything… Plus, he speaks French, so that fixes everything, right?"

Whi-Two covers her smiling face with both her hands and screams in agony.

"Oh my God, my family's going to kill me..."

The girl's phone suddenly rings. She sets aside her eternal suffering for a moment as she pulls out her phone and slides to "answer".

"Hello?"

"Are you ready yet?" Her inspector's voice calls from the other line. Whi-Two's stomach sinks.

"I'm almost there. I just need to take this turn and I'll be in your driveway…"

The girl was taken aback.

 _Take a turn_? She asks herself. _Take a turn with what?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a car horn, and she turns to find a silver Maserati making its way up to her driveway.

"There you are," Lack-Two voice comes again. "I'm hanging up now."

Whi-Two watches as the silver car gracefully parks itself by the side, just a few blocks from where she stood. The lights turned off, and Lack-Two emerges from the driver's seat. His eyes were momentarily locked on his phone, his other hand slamming the car door shut.

The girl drops her phone in shock.

It had always been a habit of Whi-Two's to take note of every single detail she can gather from everything she lands her gaze to, and Lack-Two was no exception. Although, there were times like now when she wished she could just look away.

How different her inspector looks right now compared to his everyday appearance can already cause her a headache.

Lack-Two who once went on a 'date' with her in black pants and white shirt underneath his police jacket was now standing across her all tall and charming in his straight-cut white pants and grey sweater vest over his white dress shirt. In place of his fading blue jacket she had grown accustomed with was a black blazer, which he was straightening absent-mindedly with his free hand.

"Holy Mother of God..." Whi-Two mutters to herself.

The boy suddenly looks up and turns his head around until he catches sight of her. Their eyes lock for a very short moment before he raises his free hand which he was using to tend to his blazer to gesture for her to give him a few minutes.

Whi-Two would have given him the rest of the year if it meant he'd walk to her afterwards to tell her that this was a practical joke.

After typing a few things on his phone, he finally puts it away to his front pocket, and starts walking up to her.

"Made you wait too long?" he asks as he takes off his shades and hangs it on his vest's neckline. "Sorry. Didn't expect traffic to be that heavy getting here. But, I'm here now, so…" The boy notices his mentee's expression.

"Are you okay?"

"Please tell me you stole that."

Lack-Two raises his brow as he follows the girl's dumbfounded gaze.

"That car's… not yours, right?" Whi-Two returns her gaze to him, still the doubtful look in her eyes. Then she adds in a pleading voice: "Inspector?"

"Of course not," Lack-Two replies immediately with a mocking snort, picking on the cuff of his right sleeve.

"I wouldn't be caught dead owning such a tacky vehicle…"

Whi-Two's face does not change.

 _Tacky?_

"That's my brother's…" he clarifies, returning his gaze towards her.

"Mine's in coding tonight."

Then the usual disapproving look in his eyes returned. Whi-Two suddenly feels conscious and starts straightening her red, plaid skirt.

"You intend to go through the cold night in that?" he asks, gesturing at her white, sleeveless blouse.

Whi-Two looked at him, confused.

"Sir?"

Instead of replying, the boy just shakes his head disapprovingly as he peels off his black blazer.

"Learn to dress accordingly to the weather, Detective." Then, without warning, he drapes the blazer over Whi-Two's bare shoulders, enveloping her completely in his scent.

Whi-Two had to remember how to breathe again for a few seconds.

"T-Thank you, Sir," she mumbles, clutching onto her purse.

Lack-Two nods. Then he senses a presence, and snappily looks up to see a lady looking down on them. Whi-Two follows his gaze.

"Who's that?" he asks, his voice dark and full of caution.

"My landlady?" Whi-Two meekly replies.

The boy raises his eyebrows in acknowledgement. His face smoothly eases into a smile as he offers a wave at the lady.

Whi-Two's landlady stops what she was doing and waves back, evidently enchanted.

"Wow," Whi-Two mutters. Then she looks at Lack-Two.

Lack-Two stops smiling and looks back at her, eyebrow raised.

"I have a way with the ladies," he explains, almost defensively.

"Really now," she half-heartedly gasps.

"I wouldn't have guessed."

The boy looked slightly annoyed, but he shakes it away with a shrug as he leads her back to his car with a gentle push. But her inspector's reaction amused Whi-Two.

"Gee, I'm curious, Inspector. How _do_ you plan on winning my family over?"

"With something dramatic enough to embarrass you, I hope."

-...-

Whi-Two was silently thumbing her address onto Lack-Two's phone when it suddenly vibrates and out pops a message from the upper part of its screen.

 _Lailani O.: Not much happened at work today :) Have a safe trip, Nate!_

The girl jolts and almost drops the phone in an attempt to return it to him.

Lack-Two only watches her with a deadpan stare.

"S-Sorry," she mumbles, watching as Lack-Two sets the phone on the stand by his dashboard.

"T-The message came out of nowhere. I didn't mean to read it."

Lack-Two only nods, checking the message for a brief moment before returning to his navigation app. He presses a few buttons, and soon a map was flashed.

"It's not like you saw something top secret," he whispers, his eyes now on the rearview mirror as he moves the car back. "That was just Lai giving me the heads-up about work. I asked her to cover for me."

"You skipped work today?!" Whi-Two asks in disbelief. Lack-Two gives her a short glance before returning it to the road.

"Yes," he replies, like it was no big deal. "How else was I able to get into your apartment a few minutes before my shift could have ended all prepared? This look doesn't happen in just thirty minutes, you know."

The girl was aghast.

"But…"

Lack-Two lets out a soft snort.

"If you're worried about me getting into trouble because I skipped work, let it be known that I'll only be answering to Superintendent Aldin should that happen. And FYI, that never happens."

Whi-Two watches him, utterly unconvinced.

"Besides," he continues, easing his head back to his chair after reaching the main road. "That old man's out of town for his early vacation. Lucky for me."

The girl's eyes suddenly widens.

"D-Does Superintendent know? About this?"

Lack-Two remains silent.

Whi-Two straightens herself out of impulse.

"D-Did you tell him, Sir? Because I swear to God, if you get in trouble because of me, I…"

"He doesn't know."

The girl blinks. Lack-Two sighs.

"Were you even listening? I just said he's out for early vacation. Why on Earth would I bother him with something as _trivial_ as this?"

The girl's shoulders drop as she sinks back into her seat, although the look of concern and fear stay evident in her eyes. Lack-Two sighs again.

"I'll just explain to Superintendent Aldin as soon as he gets back. It's okay…"

"Easy for you to say," Whi-Two mumbles, body now completely melted into her seat, eyes fixed on the window next to her. "You're not the one who keeps on messing up and relying on other people to fix her shit for her."

"No. This time, it's both our fault. We weren't careful. No one's benefiting from you being too hard on yourself." He takes a turn at the gate leaving Nimbasa, stopping for a moment to let policemen stationed there to inspect his trunk. He gives an impish smile when one of them peered through his window.

"Besides," he continues when the policemen gestured him that he was clear.

"I'm your inspector. It's part of my job to keep you out of trouble. Otherwise, the Superintendent will have my neck."

At that, Whi-Two finds herself suppressing a giggle.

"Mister perfect afraid of a kind old man?"

Lack-Two only shrugs.

"I think everyone should be. A kind old man who can bring down a room full of syndicate members on his own is someone to be afraid of."

The giggle successfully escapes Whi-Two. Lack-Two finds himself smiling with it.

The two sit in complete silence after that as they sped through the road connecting Nimbasa and Castelia, Whi-Two watching as the urban city landscape slowly faded into even more urban city landscape, but this time, she could make out the sea. Lack-Two was watching her from the corner of his eyes.

When they had to stop again to wait for their turn in one of the checkpoints, he takes a moment to fish for something from his compartment.

"Mints?" he suddenly mouths, offering the can to her direction. The sudden break in silence made Whi-Two jump.

"H-Huh? What?"

Lack-Two heaves a sigh.

"You've been too quiet since we drove out of Nimbasa. I'm worried my driving's making you feel queasy or something." He once agains shakes the mints near her face.

"Might as well fight that off _now_ than have regrets later."

It takes Whi-Two a few moments to get what he meant.

"Oh, I don't get carsick, Sir…" she mumbles, returning her gaze back to the car window. Then she jolts, and turns back to him with a slight nod of gratefulness.

"But, thank you."

Lack-Two clicks his tongue and nods as he puts the small can away.

"Well, if it isn't my driving, then what's wrong?"

Once again, the girl bobs her head to his direction.

"Why? Are you worried?"

Lack-Two only sends her a short, sidelong glance before returning his eyes to the road. The traffic in front of them begins to move.

"Should I be?"

Whi-Two retains her gaze at him for a moment, unconsciously burning her mentor with her stare. Then, she calmly returns her attention back to the window.

"I'm fine, Sir."

Lack-Two lets out a dejected sigh as he once again leans back on his chair. He starts looking around while they waited for traffic to move, his fingers drumming onto the steering wheel in a steady rhythm, slowly sinking into deep thought. Then the car in front of him takes a turn, and he finds himself face to face with the grand bridge that connected Castelia with Striaton, and it immediately gave him an idea.

He presses a button by his dashboard, and the two windows beside him and Whi-Two starts rolling down, letting the cold sea breeze hit their faces. Whi-Two jumps up at the whirring sound. She immediately gives Lack-Two a questioning look. The latter returns it with a knowing smile.

"You said you don't get carsick, right?," was his last statement before he and Whi-Two were pulled back to their respective seats as the vehicle sped through the almost empty bridge at a speed that even a vehicular ignoramus such as Whi-Two would be genuinely worried about. She could almost hear the car's engine crying in exhilaration or consternation.

"L-Lack-Two, what the hell?!" she cries, grabbing the handle by the window for dear life. Said boy only smirks.

"Look out the window, Whi-Two."

"No! Not until you slow this car down! Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"Look out the window or I'll let go of the wheel."

"Oh, damn you!"

And with a loud groan, the girl does as she was told in fear that her inspector has gone wild and meant his last words. It takes her a short moment to take in everything, but when she did, she had to gasp for air.

It was early evening when they left her apartment, and she's estimated that they've been on the road for at least thirty minutes. Night had already enveloped Nimbasa, but it has not yet completely engulfed the sea that cut between Striaton and Castelia. She could still see from her side of the car the far end where the sun sets, watching as its reflection made the ocean almost red like it was burning. The cold ocean breeze kept slapping her in the face to remind her that it was real.

"You think that's pretty," Lack-Two suddenly quips from her side, his eyes still fixed on the road.

"Try looking at _my_ share of the view."

It takes effort for Whi-Two to peel her gaze away from the breathtaking image to do as she was told, and what meets her was the exact contrast. The other end of the sea was almost pitch black, sprinkled with immensely bright stars, shining as if to welcome the entrance of the grand moon that was slowly peeking out of the horizon, letting the ocean from where it seems to rise glisten in awestrucking silver.

"Wow," Whi-Two breathes. Lack-Two takes a moment to stare as well. A small smile begins unravelling across his face.

"Yeah, Unova, even though on lockdown, can be pretty sometimes," he mutters, slowly setting his eyes back on the road.

"Although you're the one who's been moving from place to place—you of all people should know that."

Whi-Two takes a moment to look down before returning her gaze to the setting sun.

"I do... " A shake of the head. "But I never actually found the time to just look at it."

Lack-Two once again takes his eyes off the road, this time to look at her, her whole body silhouetted by the onslaught of orange and red.

"Well, you should," he whispers.

"God only knows how long these things can last."

-...-

It took them only a few minutes before Lack-Two had to slow his car down, and soon, they found themselves caught in traffic once again, waiting for their turn at the checkpoint by the end of the bridge. Lack-Two takes that moment to roll the windows back up, giving Whi-Two comfort in tending her hair.

"So, will you finally tell me what's wrong?"

Whi-Two's hands freeze on separate locations somewhere in her hair as she looks up at her mentor, wide eyes.

"Huh?"

Lack-Two shoots her a short sidelong glance before clearing his throat.

"I don't really appreciate it when the people I'm alone with in a cramped space refuse to talk to me. Always makes me feel like they're plotting an assault, or something."

Whi-Two lets out a giggle.

"I'm your subordinate, Sir. Do you really think I'd want to murder you?"

Lack-Two's expression remains.

"You certainly won't be the only one." A click of the tongue,

"As a matter of fact, I believe that it was you who pointed out that I'm not really much of a crowd's favorite, so to speak."

Whi-Two runs a comb down her long brown locks, her eyes still fixed on her mentor.

"Don't worry," she almost coos, still a bit taken aback by the earlier view.

"I don't want to murder you, Inspector. At least not today…"

"I'm touched," Lack-Two drawls.

"Still want to know what's going on with you."

At that, the smile on Whi-Two's face slowly fades away, and was replaced by her initial expression as they were entering the bridge.

"It's… Stupid."

"Let me be the judge of that."

The female detective's hands slowly lower themselves as she sinks back to her seat, feeling the soft whirring of the engine as they move past the checkpoint and return to the main road.

"Uhm, I'm... just nervous, that's all."

The response earns her another rise from her inspector's eyebrow.

"I'm the one meeting your parents. Why be the one who feels nervous? "

The girl does not respond, and only looks away, evidently from embarrassment. Lack-Two had to suppress a chuckle.

"Never brought home a guy to introduce to the family before…" His shoulders shake a bit as he turns the suppressed chuckle into a scoff.

"Why am I not surprised? "

"And I suppose you know everything, huh?" Whi-Two snaps. Lack-Two simply shrugs.

"Well, I've had one... Two…" He looks up for a moment as if he was really trying to remember.

"...Nine girlfriends in the past? All of whose parents I've met. I kind of know a thing or two about meeting the parents…"

Whi-Two looks at him incredulously.

"I am not surprised," she mumbles, though her eyes blatantly expresses disbelief and a bit of disgust.

"Not at the same time, of course," Lack—Two shoots back.

Whi-Two nods her head unconvincingly. Lack-Two only rolls his eyes.

"Nine girlfriends, wow…" Whi-Two mutters under her breath. Then she looks at him.

"What happened?"

"What else should happen?" Lack-Two replies, taking a left turn.

"They fall in love with the face, the hair, the car, and the wealth but never with the policeman. So it never works."

"What do you mean?"

Lack-Two takes a moment to respond, making Whi-Two worry that she may have asked something not welcomed. But then she hears him hum a bit, as if thinking of the right words to say.

"Well, when the relationship begins to deepen, they make you decide: love or dream. And you can only keep one."

"And you chose dream?"

At that, Lack-Two scoffs.

"I'll always choose dream," he says, almost with too much confidence. Then his shoulders drop a little as an inexplicable expressions passes by his face.

"Guess I still have yet to meet the one who can convince me to choose the other... "

-...-

"Alright, what's the plan," Lack-Two asks, slamming the car door shut as soon as Whi-Two stepped out. Whi-Two straightens herself up for a moment, and looks up, taking in the image of the home she grew up in and left about three years ago. It's been a while, and even Whi-Two, for her own sake, would not know how exactly was she to answer her mentor's question.

But the look in her mentor's face pressed for an answer.

Whi-Two takes a deep breath.

"Have dinner, talk a little, keep Lack-Two away from Jeremy, and then send him home." She recites the words fast, and as soon as she was done, she starts zooming towards their door, leaving Lack-Two still standing next to his car, bewildered.

"Who the heck is Jeremy?" he cries after her.

"There's our little Roro!"

About five or six bodies based on Lack-Two's count come crashing towards Whi-Two at full speed. Lack-Two had to immediately grab onto Whi-Two's shoulder to prevent her from getting lost in the small sea of people.

"Oh, my goodness, Roro, you've grown!"

"It's so lovely to see you, dear!"

"Your hair is _beautiful_!"

"And that complexion! My darling, you have been taking good care of yourself!"

Whi-Two shrinks a bit towards Lack-Two.

"Y-Yes, it's good to see all of you again… Uhm…" She looks up to her superior for a moment, and when her superior gives her a slight nod of approval, she smiles again.

"E-Everyone," she almost squeaks. "This is Nate…"

Whi-Two ended up eating her tongue away before she could say who "Nate" was, but she didn't seem to need to for her cousins already knew of that name far too well.

"It's Roro's boyfriend!"

And the swarm of people starts flocking towards Lack-Two. Whi-Two tried but failed to use her body as shield in fear of them toppling her inspector over, but Lack-Two, as expected, handled himself well. With the social skills of a champion, Lack-Two addresses each question as eloquently and as comfortably as he could.

" _Mon Dieu_ , you are one dashing young man! Look at him…" one cousin comments

Lack-Two nods graciously.

"Ah, _merci_."

"He speaks French!" another cousin squeals.

And before Whi-Two could do or say anything, the room was immediately drowned away with French dialogue as they all tried to get Lack-Two's attention.

"Now, now, everyone, give Rosa some space to breathe." Lack-Two and the rest of the crowd turns their head to the source of the voice, and out steps a rather tall woman, brown hair tied in a tight bun, her eyes as blue as Whi-Two's. The SUU inspector feels his subordinate's body tense up against his hold, making his gaze fall back towards her.

The woman's gaze joins him, and as soon she locks eyes with the tensed girl, her own face softens as she easily conjures up a smile.

"My only girl is back…" she almost coos, walking towards Whi-Two. The latter tries her best to return a smile.

"Hi, mom," she whispers. The last syllable coincided with a grunt, and before she knew it, she was already enveloped in her mother's tight embrace.

Lack-Two watches on.

"I miss you so much, Roro," the mother mumbles against her daughter's shoulder. Then she looks up for a moment and catches a glimpse of Lack-Two, who smoothly transitioned himself and flashed his ever charming smile at her.

"And you must be Nate," she smiles back, letting Whi-Two go momentarily to approach the boy. Lack-Two bows slightly in polite greeting.

"Good evening," he greets, elegantly reaching for the woman's hand but was slightly surprised when the latter suddenly pulls her in for an embrace.

Whi-Two notes the peculiar glint in her mentor's eyes.

"Oh, my goodness, you are as charming as you were when I was talking to you over the phone. Look at you…"

Lack-Two actually takes a moment to compose himself.

"It is a pleasure to meet you in person as well, Mrs. Bilden," he greets back, somewhat relieved when the woman finally lets him go.

"Oh, please, just call me 'Cecilia'!"

"Cecilia…" Lack-Two lets the syllables roll along his tongue before smiling an approving smile. Then he eyes the rest of the crowd who was watching him somewhat expectantly. He leans over to Whi-Two, and makes sure they hear him when he whispers, "Your family is nice"

And with that, Whi-Two's family starting flocking around him. Whi-Two gets squeezed at the sudden force, and once again, Whi-Two's mother's voice was her salvation.

"Everyone, everyone!" her mother cries, her voice still calm, but still powerful enough to calm Whi-Two's battalion of relatives.

"I'm sure we will get to know Nate over dinner. Everyone to the dinner table now."

There were a few groans, but nonetheless, everyone starts marching towards what Lack-Two would assume to be their kitchen. He was about to take a step when he realizes that Whi-Two has not yet moved from where she stood. To his surprise, she suddenly jolts and looks up at him with almost blank eyes.

"Please brace yourself, Inspector," she whispers.

-...-

"So, Nate, I take it you're a policeman as well? From the same station where Rosa now works?"

Lack-Two raises his eyes from the relative seated to his left who was telling him a story he may or may have not been listening to in order to meet Cecilia's.

"Yes, that is correct," he nods politely. "I am a member of the Special Response Team of the Nimbasa Division."

"Ooh, fancy," one of the cousins—a female seated from across where Lack-Two sits—comments, giving him an impish look for about the third time. And just as he did from the previous two times, Lack-Two only replies with a polite smile. Beside him, Whi-Two inwardly screams, part of her wanting to stand up and apologize profusely to her Inspector for dragging him into this, and another part admiring Lack-Two for being able to handle every simultaneous question thrown upon him without lashing like he always does in office.

"Nimbasa? Wait, I thought you work in Aspertia, Roro?" another cousin asks.

Whi-Two was caught off-guard, and was a few beats off in responding, letting her mother beat her to it.

"Rosa was reassigned a few months ago," Cecilia explains. "Something about… Changing titles, or something? What was it that you call it, Rosa?"

"Changing titles?" another relative chimes in. "Rosa changed jobs?"

"No, _débile_ , it means she was promoted!"

"If she was promoted, then why on earth is she still earning virtually the same thing?"

"Is Nimbasa farther or nearer Striaton?"

"It's the country's capital. You have to cross the sea to go that city, I hear."

Whi-Two continues to shrink in her seat, not anymore caring for the remaining food in her plate. Lack-Two watches her as she played with the lone pickle in front of her, a slight tremor evident on her pale hand.

"Nimbasa Division," Lack-Two suddenly quips, his voice still calm although quite loud, enough to catch the attention of the bickering relatives.

"...Is the Unova Police Department's main division. Call it our central headquarters, if you will, where all the respected members are based. Sometimes, when an officer from another division shows remarkable potential, they are subject to deliberation on whether they will be re-stationed to serve Nimbasa." He makes it again a point to give Whi-Two a look.

"And your Rosa over here is one such officer."

Silence suddenly engulfs the dinner table, save for Lack-Two who was making subtle sounds whenever his fork would hit his plate. All eyes were glued on him and he looks back at all of them with innocent eyes.

Again, the cousin sitting to his left breaks the silence.

"If you're from Nimbasa, _monsieur_ , does that mean you're as remarkable as well?" she asks with a coy smile, to which most of the table follows with chuckles. Lack-Two returns with a sheepish giggle.

"Oh, that will be hard to answer. I can't really speak for myself."

More laughter.

"Such kind words for Roro but none for himself!"one of them comments.

"What a humble boy..."

"I bet you're as talented as you are dashing, _monsieur_!"

"Oh, _pas du tout_ ," Lack-Two replies good-naturedly. "I'm telling you, I am as average as any Nimbasa officer would be. But thank you for your kind words."

He finds himself landing his gaze to Whi-Two, and finds her staring at him in utter disbelief. The inspector's response was a quick raise of both eyebrows, reminding her that he just went and saved her bottom just a few minutes ago, and that the least she could do was play along.

"Well, what of that, _Tata_?" a cousin seated next to Whi-Two's mother comments. "Roro's apparently making good progress in her chosen field. She even went and found the love of her life there! Looks like _Oncle_ was right."

There was an evident shift in Cecilia's mood when she's heard, and Lack-Two could almost feel every stab she gave to her food with her fork.

"Marvelous," she whispers plainly. Then she notices both Lack-Two and Whi-Two's expressions—one with confusion and the other with utter despair.

"Oh, please don't mind me," she starts waving her hands restlessly, in the same way Whi-Two would whenever she's trying to convince Lack-Two that she wasn't sleeping on the job. The inspector actually thought it was cute.

"I'm sorry," she hums. "I just… Am not really as _comfortable_ talking about all this police hullabaloo as much as one would expect from a policeman's mother, but…" She addresses Whi-Two almost too awkwardly.

"I am very proud of you, honey."

Whi-Two returns with a small smile.

"Thanks, mom."

Cecilia watches as her daughter returns to playing with her pickle. The rest of their relatives seem to have melted into other topics, and for that she was thankful. The last thing she needed was to embarrass her daughter in front of their own family.

But then she did it in front of the first guy her daughter ever brought home.

"I'm sorry, Nate, this must be so awkward for you."

Surprisingly, the boy returns her the same calm smile he's been retaining the whole evening.

"Can't say that this is not a regular occurrence at the family dinner table," Lack-Two replies good-naturedly.

"I myself had my own share of experiences. Really, it's fine." Then he lands his gaze on the girl by his side who have completely spaced out—perhaps out of sheer embarrassment and pain. Cecilia, too, was watching the girl with a worried expression.

With a look of genuine concern in his eyes (which Whi-Two may have failed to notice), Lack-Two temporarily veers away from his standard protocol and lets his hand rest on top of Whi-Two's. The girl slightly jolts, and immediately gawks at the hand now calmly suppressing the tremors coming from her own.

She checks if Cecilia had noticed, in fear that her mother might not be comfortable with this. _She_ certainly was.

But Cecilia seems to have not as she was now looking straight to Lack-Two's eyes.

"You see, I never wanted Rosa to be a police officer," Cecilia was explaining, an answer to her mentor's question that she was not able to catch.

"I personally wanted her to be a chef. Or something of the sort. Any profession really that does not involve me worrying my hair away, thinking if my only daughter was ever involved in the numerous shootouts I see on television. Really. It's unnerving for a mother."

Lack-Two dips his head almost reassuringly.

"I understand. As a policeman myself, I can verify how dangerous it is to involve yourself with law enforcement. It calls for you to constantly throw yourself into danger's loving arms."

Cecilia seems convinced.

"Yes, " she almost cries at the thought that someone, finally, understands her point.

"That's what I always tell my Rosa..."

"However, Madame, with all due respect, there is a certain amount of fulfillment that comes along with it, the kind that is worth the effort. And if Rosa here actually sees and feels that…" He trails off, letting his fingers from the hand that held Whi-Two's entwine with hers. Whi-Two again looks up at him, and as soon as their eyes lock, Lack-Two gives her a soft, reassuring smile.

Whi-Two finds herself smiling back.

"And personally, I'm happy Rosa made this choice. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met her as soon as I did."

Without much of a warning, Lack-Two quickly lifts Whi-Two's hand to his lips and gives it a light peck, fast enough for anyone but Whi-Two to not notice. He half-expected her to squirm, or perhaps scream, but the girl simply smiles back at him, absent-mindedly returning his grasp back to him with her wiry fingers.

Lack-Two had to lose himself for a moment.

Whi-Two's hold was the tightest his hand had ever felt all his life.

-...-

After dinner, Whi-Two was immediately pulled away by one of her cousins, leaving Lack-Two slightly dumbfounded as he watched her get dragged across the room. Whi-Two was worried that Lack-Two would immediately be eaten alive by the rest of her family especially now that she was out of the picture, and true enough, when she steals a glance to his direction as her cousin chatted her away, she finds him talking—possibly introducing himself—to another set of cousins. Her stomach sinks.

Her cousins take a little too much of her time, or so she thinks, for when she returns to the living room to search for her inspector, she immediately finds him on the couch surrounded by three of her female cousins, getting comfortable.

 _Too_ comfortable.

"…and that's the story of how I was ranked as Sergeant at the age of 22," Lack-Two was saying, a glass of what appears to be wine in his hand.

"Oh, wow, Officer… You are so brave... And strong…" one cousin almost purrs.

"Not to mention, _immensely_ charming and sweet," another chimes in. "That smile must've gotten you everything you've wanted in life."

Lack-Two smiles against the curve of his wine glass.

"Well, it helped winning me Rosa's heart. So, I guess you're right."

The look in Whi-Two's face was undecipherable.

Her cousins let out demure giggles.

"Roro knows how to choose her men…" the third cousin sighs.

"Oh, if I weren't so in love with _mon Cherie_ , I would've been all over you."

"Same…"

"Me too."

At that, Lack-Two chuckles.

"I am flattered. Truly, I am. And because you are kind, let me return that kindness with heartfelt advice…" He bends over to refill his glass and then straightens himself to look at them each straight in the eye.

"Do not fall in love with people like me. I will take you to museums and parks and monuments, and kiss you in every beautiful place, so that you can never go back to them without tasting me like blood in your mouth. I will destroy you in the most beautiful way possible. And when I leave you, you will finally understand why storms are named after people."

The cousins gasp, almost in unison.

"Oh my goodness…"

"That's so beautiful…"

"Pure poetry… Caitlyn Siehl, yes?"

At that, the serious look in Lack-Two's face disappears as he breaks into another chuckle, raising his glass at the cousin.

"Someone's been reading English contemporaries," he teases playfully. The cousin giggles back.

"But in all honesty, please don't fall in love with me. I'm hopelessly in love with your little Roro. I don't think it'd be pretty."

It was at that moment that Whi-Two knew she couldn't take anymore. She emerges from the doorframe where she was hiding in and calls for her mentor.

"Si—I-I mean, Nate…?"

Lack-Two looks up and stares at Whi-Two questioningly. The plastered smile on his mentee's face was hopelessly unconvincing.

"Can you come with me upstairs?" she almost recites. Then she gives him a pressing look.

"Alone?"

To her surprise, the questioning look in Lack-Two's eyes turn into amusement. The three cousins also wore the same expression on their faces.

"Ooooooh," they tease in unison, looking at each other knowingly.

Whi-Two blinks at them innocently.

"Wait. What?"

"Ah, Roro, we didn't know you were that mischievous…"

"Separated only for a short while and already pining to be alone again... Roro, you sweet, excited little bunny."

"W-What... Wait—No—"

A cousin faces Lack-Two.

"Oh, you will _love_ the view from Roro's room, _Monsieur_. It has a great view of the Gracidea gardens—absolutely _astonishing_."

"Ah, _oui_ ," another chimes in. "A perfect scene to a romantic, passionate…"

Whi-Two feels a violent chill run up her spine at the thought.

"Oh my, God, STOP! _WHAT ARE YOU EVEN THINKING_?!"

The three cousins only laugh. Whi-Two frantically shakes her head to her inspector.

"Wait, no, I'm not…"

Lack-Two gives off a chuckle.

"Now, now, ladies. No need to tease her like that." He stands up, gently prying off his arms from their hold as he did

"Although, I won't mind seeing her against something to be as equally beautiful as she is?"

He gives Whi-Two a smile. The latter returns with a look of disdain.

The cousins again share a giggle among themselves. Lack-Two turns to them.

"I'll be seeing you then, m'ladies?"

"Ohh, _mais ouis_ , _Monsieur_! Please, do enjoy the evening."

Lack-Two nods graciously at them before looking back to Whi-Two and gesturing towards the door.

"After you? "

Whi-Two looks around awkwardly before walking out, with Lack-Two following behind.

As soon as they were out of anyone else's earshot, Whi-Two suddenly stops and turns to her inspector.

"Was that necessary, Inspector?"

Said inspector raises his hands defensively.

"What? Just because I'm doing this in favor of you doesn't mean I can't have a little fun."

"They're all taken!"

"...And in case you've forgotten the context of this situation, in their eyes, I am, too." He shrugs. "I don't see any harm in making friends with fellow 'taken' individuals…"

Whi-Two groans as she buries her face in her hands in agony.

"My 'boyfriend' is a fricking playboy…"

"Hey, at least I have the face for it…" He crosses his arms indignantly.

"Besides, if you don't want me playing around with your pretty and French cousins, then stop leaving me behind. In case you didn't know, girlfriends don't do that."

"It's not like I—" Then she stops, takes a deep breath, and simply nods. The image from a while ago at the dinner table passes by Lack-Two's mind.

"You're right. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you, Sir."

Then she turns and starts going up the stairs.

"Let's go."

"Wait, so you _were_ serious about taking me to your room?" He whistles, an amused glint in his eyes.

"My, you really _are_ a bold little bunny."

"Let's just _go_..."

-...-

The two stare at the gate that divided Whi-Two's room to her balcony. It was locked.

"Erm…" Whi-Two hums, then looks up at Lack-Two.

"Please wait here."

Lack-Two watches as Whi-Two walks to a nearby window to her left. She grabs a set of keys from a bowl by her dresser, then goes through the window, and disappears. For the next minute or two, the sound of heavy footsteps, creaking hinges, and screaming voices fills the room.

" _Merde_!"

"Sorry, Jeremy!"

More heavy footsteps ensue. Lack-Two looks around for a moment, wondering where in hell did his mentee end up in, and his eyes land on a tall bookshelf to his right. With one last glance on the window where Whi-Two disappeared to, he walks towards it.

The bookshelf was quite tall as well, like the rest of her furnitures, and the books were protected by glass, giving Lack-Two the message that they were on a strict hands-off policy. He peers through the glass nonetheless. Thankfully, it was clear enough for him to see everything.

And there was so much to see that he didn't even hear Whi-Two fiddling with the lock from the other side of the gate. She pries it open with full force, letting a loud crashing sound fill the room as she did. The cold December breeze accompany her as she enters, trying to catch her breath.

"I'm back," she gasps, kicking the gate lightly to let it stay open. Then she looks up to search for Lack-Two, and finds him by her bookshelf.

"Lack-Two?"

Said boy straightens himself but keeps his eyes on the shelves.

"You… have quite the library, detective. From the military almanac to every police story ever published. I'm fairly impressed." He looks up to her as she makes her way towards him.

"You must've had quite the childhood."

"I guess," Whi-Two hums, joining him. "Most of them were originally my father's. He really loved police literature."

Lack-Two absent-mindedly nods, his eyes still glued to the titles.

"…Where is he now?"

He feels Whi-Two shuffle awkwardly next to him, making him snappily turn his head to her direction. A remorseful smile has pasted itself across her lips.

The boy inhales in realization.

"I see…" he whispers, slowly looking away.

"Sorry to hear…"

Whi-Two was quick to recover.

"I-It's okay! He died in the line of duty, so I guess that's not really something to be sad about. You and I both know how much of an honor that is for a policeman."

Lack-Two nods. "Definitely."

The female detective sighs wistfully as she presses her fingers against the glass that separated the two from Whi-Two's many, many books.

"Shame he died never getting the rank he always wanted."

Lack-Two again pries off his glance from Whi-Two's faint reflection in order to look at the real thing.

"My dad had always wanted to be an inspector," she recalls, moving towards another part of her room, towards the dresser where a bunch of picture frames—mostly containing pictures of Whi-Two as a kid—were placed. She picks one up and hands it to Lack-Two.

"But ranking became hard for him after catching this disease that required him to have his dominant arm cut off. His department actually recommended early retirement, but my dad was stubborn. And since he was a well-loved veteran, they let him stay. But because of his… _condition_ , he had to live the rest of his life working under the school safety bureau." The girl suddenly lets off a giggle.

"I remember my classmates from back then being too afraid of me because my dad was one of the school guards."

Lack-Two again inattentively shakes his head, his eyes now focused on the image of a middle-aged man—around his forties, by his quick estimate—holding a blue-eyed little girl in his arms.

"I take it you've gotten your remarkable skills from your father?" he was still able to ask.

"Taught me everything he knew," she beams.

"He started training me the moment he saw my drawing of myself as a policeman. I became his new dream."

Lack-Two looks up at her.

"And you don't mind that? The pressure?"

"Honestly, I love it. It's always given me a sense of purpose. Something to look forward to, you know?" Her eyes then mellowed, her shoulders lowered.

"Then he had to die…"

"Still, you continued his dream?"

Whi-Two looks up at him, directly in the eye.

"It's now both our dream."

Lack-Two watches her eyes for a moment, the way they still shone underneath her steady fluorescent light. Then he returns to the image, mentally comparing how different she probably is from the little girl in the policeman costume, being held by the father she knew and loved.

The little girl seemed to have a lot more luster in her eyes compared to her, that's for certain, but other than that, they were the same, almost identical. Both pairs of eyes bore the same determination, and the same dream.

He almost felt envious.

"So, you want to be one of the big kids, huh?" he suddenly mumbles, stretching his arm to return the frame on top of Whi-Two's dresser.

"If that's the case, then you really have to work your way up. But you've got game. You'd probably fly up through the ranks without even noticing."

Whi-Two watches him as his hand remain hovering over the frame, even after he's already set it down.

"Is that what happened to you, Inspector?"

"Maybe."

Whi-Two's shoulders shake as she tries to suppress a giggle, but then freezes almost too immediately when she feels his hand land on one of them gently. She looks up and sees Lack-Two looking at her directly in the eye.

"You'd make an amazing inspector one day."

The smile gradually fades from Whi-Two's face.

"Sir…?"

"At least, that's what Superintendent Aldin said." He clears his throat, quickly pulling his hand away.

"But who knows? If you play your cards right, you might end up replacing _him_ one day."

Whi-Two lets out a good-natured snort.

"Yeah, but I still got you to compete with."

At that, Lack-Two simply smiles.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem."

There was a questioning look in Whi-Two's eyes, which Lack-Two immediately ignores. He directs his attention elsewhere, and finds that the gate towards her balcony was already opened, and the cold breeze and a few pink petals were passing through.

"You managed to open it?" he mumbles, but nonetheless starts walking towards it. Whi-Two follows directly behind him.

The two step out into Whi-Two's small balcony, and were met by a strong yet sweet aroma, made stronger by the winds. Lack-Two looks over the railings.

A large garden filled with pink flowers, all in full bloom, stretched across the large patch of lands just in front of Whi-Two's room. They sway in the direction the breeze would blow, making it look like they were dancing.

"Are those…?"

"Gracideas," Whi-Two explains, joining him. "An old couple used to live here before we moved in—immigrants from a faraway country, and they started a small garden and filled it with flowers native from their homeland. When the couple passed away, everybody thought the gardens would wither along with them. But nobody expected that these flowers can pretty much sustain themselves given the right climate. And they multiply. Fast. A few years before I was born, the Unovan government decided to harvest them to the last petal in order to make room for more houses, but the citizens protested against it. They claimed that Unova was getting too urban for the sake of progress that we become too… numb. Heartless, even. These gardens would be one of the very few constant reminder that we still… believe in beauty, among other things. So they preserved it."

She hears Lack-Two hum in reply, suddenly reminding her that she was still next to someone. And that someone was none other than her inspector who cared _very_ little for pointless details.

"I-I'm sorry, that must've been dragging!"

But Lack-Two nonetheless smiles.

"No, I think it's a cute story." Then he straightens himself, and starts journeying his eyes across the vast horizon. Whi-Two watches him, the then soft features of his face growing even softer as he breathed in the fresh December air.

She finds herself smiling once again.

"Actually, the real reason why I brought you up here was to thank you…"

Lack-Two returns his gaze back to her, his hair slightly obstructing his view as it ruffled along with the breeze.

"For showing me that wonderful view awhile ago, by the bridge," Whi-Two clarifies, slightly blushing.

"...And for standing up to my mother… A-Among other things."

Once more, the boy simply watches her, focusing on her short bangs dancing along with the wind. She was looking down shyly, making him feel a little bit of aching inside for not being able to see her eyes, but he nonetheless appreciated it.

He was down to his last defenses, and he simply can't risk it now.

"You certainly looked like you wouldn't do it," he whispers, looking away again. Whi-Two looks up to him with minor shock, but nevertheless smiled a sheepish smile.

Lack-Two sighs.

"So that thing that happened to your dad… Is that the reason why your mom's against your chosen profession?"

"Mom's always been against it. I remember my parents always arguing with each other regarding my upbringing, being the only child and all. Mom would always say, 'Ed! Your daughter is a little girl! She should be playing with dolls, not guns!' And then my dad would always say that it's better I know how to fight back as early as age seven. But then my mom complained that he wasn't giving me much of an option. It's like, the only choice I have is to become a policeman. So my dad gave in and told her to let me try something else, and my mom wasted no time and enrolled me in numerous culinary summer courses over high school…"

"And what came out of that?"

"Well, I can make numerous dishes out of three simple ingredients. But that's pretty much my culinary career for you." Again, another giggle. Then she sighs.

"Never really fell in love with cooking as I had with fighting crime."

Lack-Two blinks at her for a moment, before letting a good-natured scoff.

"There's something you don't hear everyday…" he mumbles.

" I bet your dad's pretty proud of you."

Whi-Two shrugs with an impish smile.

"I hope so."

There was a questioning look in her inspector's eyes, making her shrug again, this time a bit more awkwardly.

"My dad was… Pretty _strict_ as a father. He was hardly pleased with things. I can bring down a group of dummy bodies with just one pistol, and my dad would still be disappointed because my stance was not firm enough."

"Stance _is_ pretty important, you know." A click of the tongue before he rests his folded arms over the railings once more.

"I take it back. If your dad was still alive to see how you perform during combat training, I bet you'd have at least two people barking at you every morning."

Whi-Two laughs, a lot louder than her usual giggles.

"…Now I think I know why I feel at ease with you despite your attitude," she tilts, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "You're so much like him…"

"Every good policeman is. Standard protocol."

Then his face becomes serious.

"Take my word for it, detective, Your dad's proud of you."

"How do you know that?"

The boy shrugs.

"I'm Mister Perfect. I know everything."

Whi-Two laughs again. Lack-Two pairs it with a low chuckle.

Then he takes a deep breath.

"It's not the case of achievements anymore. It's the case of seeing your daughter fall in love with what she does. And to think that she fell in love with something you have been offering all your life to. If that's the case then who cares where she's at?"

He gives her another sidelong glance, watching as the laughter dies down from her flushed face.

"If she's happy, then I'm happy."

-...-

"Alright, now try this one…"

Lack-Two lets out a soft groan and rolls his eyes, but he nonetheless leans forward and takes a spoonful of cream from Whi-Two's bowl. He takes it, and lets it stay in his mouth for a moment, before raising his brows in surprise.

"Hm." He gives her a nod of approval before letting the sweetened cream down his throat.

"Right?" Whi-Two cheers excitedly. "Sweet but not the kind that leaves you nauseous, huh?"

"Well, I'm still standing, so I'm going with 'yes'." He looks down on his own bowl and takes another spoonful.

"I can't believe your mom made her own rendition of Virbank's Bearticone in eight different flavors. And she did it only after tasting it once."

"I know, isn't she great?" Whi-Two takes another spoonful from her own bowl, all giddy and childlike.

"Mom can be a lot of things, but when it comes to her cooking, I don't know of anyone who can best her."

Lack-Two watches as she takes another spoonful and smiles like a giddy child. It amazes him how ice cream can easily change the girl's mood to the positive.

"Enjoying the evening, you two?"

Lack-Two almost lashes out at the feeling of an unknown presence behind him, but immediately stops himself from attacking when he recognizes the voice. He turns, this time a little slower than he had intended, a smile readily pasted on his face.

"We have been, Madame, thank you," he beams. Then he gestures at the bowl in his hand.

"The food is delightful, by the way. I think it's remarkable how you were able to do all these by yourself."

Cecilia giggles.

"Oh, you and your sweet words, Nate," she chastises playfully, hitting him on his shoulder.

"I would've offered you dessert a little earlier on but you and Rosa disappeared all of a sudden after dinner. And for quite a long time, too." She looks at the two knowingly.

Whi-Two almost chokes on her confectionery.

"Mom, no… We were just…" She and Lack-Two lock eyes for a moment, his a look of expectancy. He seemed to want her to try and speak for herself. The girl slightly nods, and takes a deep breath.

"I was just showing him the Gracidea gardens from my balcony."

"On such a cold December evening?"

"We were wearing jackets…" Whi-Two tries to make a convincing grin, lowering her chin in an almost pleading manner, hoping her mother would be convinced. The latter simply chuckles.

"I trust you two," she says, landing a reassuring hand on Lack-Two, who was watching the exchange with an amused expression. Then, she tips over and nears her face to the boy's ear.

"She's never had a boyfriend before…"

" _Mom_!"

Cecilia simply laughs.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" she begs, waving her hand to dismiss the awkwardness. Then she calms down after a deep breath.

"By the way, honey, can you come with me to kitchen?"

The two both freeze.

"W-Why…?"

"Relax!" Cecilia again jeers, hitting Whi-Two gently on her shoulder. The girl nonetheless sways as she did, still frozen.

"I just need to ask for your help with one of the dishes. There's something missing from the salad your dad always makes, but I just can't seem to know what it is. You know his recipe...Maybe another mind won't hurt?"

The colors gradually return to Whi-Two's face as her whole body begins to relax. She gives Lack-Two one last look before setting her bowl down and standing up, straightening herself a bit before heading towards the kitchen.

Cecilia gives Lack-Two an almost apologetic smile.

"I'll just be borrowing Rosa for a minute or two?"

"Of course, Madame. Please…"

Lack-Two watches as the two women disappear into the kitchen, but his attention was shifted abruptly when he hears a tall glass bottle hit the coffee table in front of him.

A tall, rather beefy man dives into the couch and sits next to him. Lack-Two only stares. He recognizes him vaguely as one of Whi-Two's cousins.

Or uncle. Judging by how old he appears, the inspector might not be sure.

" _Bon nuit_ ," the tall man greets, nodding at him, He spreads his arms over the slightly dumbfounded brunet, landing it gently over the latter's shoulders.

Lack-Two leans a bit forward before replying.

" _Bon nuit_ ," he says softly.

"My goodness, your French accent is _très bon_. The most remarkable among all Unovans I have encountered." He produces an empty wine glass and starts filling it with champagne. "That will make us good friends, yes?"

The inspector just looks at him, unsure. But he accepts the glass nonetheless.

Champagne is champagne, after all. No matter who the drink comes from.

"Jeremy Lambert, _mon amie_ ," the cousin says, producing another wine glass and filling it as well. Then he raises it up to Lack-Two.

"Pleased to meet the first man to have caught the meticulous heart of our dear Roro..."

Wonder was shaping inside Lack-Two's mind when he's heard the man's name—like he's heard it from somewhere before—but it burned immediately at the scent of sweet alcohol just underneath his nose. He raises his glass as well and hits the other gently.

"The pleasure is all mine," he mouths. He then nears the glass back to his face with a smile. The scent of high-class champagne fills his nose.

" _Dom Pérignon_ ," Lack-Two exhales. "I'm impressed. These are pretty rare around these areas, considering the wide-ranged foreign liquor shipping ban in Unova…"

"Ah, _oui_ , 'tis a shame," Jerem agrees with a sad sigh. "French champagne has always been the best champagne, and to think that the government is forcing the locals to settle with our ridiculously low-standard liquor? _Bleagh_!"

Lack-Two only slightly nods, still refusing to take a sip.

"So, where did you acquire this?"

"A silly little store back in Virbank," he winks. "But that was probably seven… eight years ago? Right before my family migrated? Ah, this old man forgets…"

Lack-Two smiles. He seems overjoyed somehow.

"Perfectly-aged sparkling wine?" he comments with a tinge of excitement. "I've never been more enthralled." He raises his glass to Jeremy again.

"Thank you."

Then he takes a long sip, finishing the glass in one take.

Jeremy cheers as Lack-Two exhales loudly.

" _Magnifique!_ " he cheers, giving Lack-Two a hearty slap on the back. "Truly, you are a man of fine taste! You make me like you even more. Roro knows how to choose her men."

Again, he takes Lack-Two's glass and fills it again.

"You and I, _mon amie_ , are going to finish here this whole battle, yes?" Jeremy invites as he refills his own.

"Tonight, we drink and be merry, like true gentlemen!"

Lack-Two sips with satisfaction.

"I'd love that," he mutters.

And they hit each other's glasses again.

-...-

Whi-Two and her mother enter the empty kitchen in utter silence. The younger immediately proceeds to the counter, where a large bowl was sitting on. She grabs a spoon, and scoops a little for tasting.

"Mmm," she hums with a smile. "Okay, maybe we should start by going through what you've placed already… Let me just move this to the table."

"Nate's not really your boyfriend, is he?"

Whi-Two almost drops the bowl. She immediately sets it down again before facing her mother.

"Huh?"

She half-expected her mother to wear that small scowl she always wore whenever she'd catch her playing with her dad's guns when she was younger, but all she found was a knowing smile on her the older's face.

"Roselia Bilden…" she mouths, a knowing look in her face.

The girl groans quietly.

"Were we that bad…?"

At that, Cecilia giggles.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, dear! I was very convinced at the start. Especially that phone call! Nate's quite the charmer. He could sell me a plunger and I would probably buy two!"

Whi-Two laughs awkwardly.

"There's an idea," she mumbles. Then her smile fades.

"...So was it me?"

Cecilia smiles kindly.

"Yes," she nods. "But not for the reasons you would think."

Whi-Two only looks at her.

"Sweetie, I'm your mother!" she scoffs playfully. "You can't lie to me…" Then her smile grows softer.

"...And, frankly, I don't see a reason why you should…"

The girl looks down sadly.

"I…" she trails off. Then she shrugs, taking a deep breath.

"I didn't want to disappoint you, mom. You just seemed so happy to have found out, I was… I just…"

"Oh, Rosa, honey…" Her mother inhales sharply, as if she was deeply startled by her daughter's words. She quickly walks near her and holds her shoulders.

"Rosa, there is nothing you could do to disappoint me! You know that…"

Whi-Two only watches her, the same troubled look in her eyes.

"...Even if I pursued this career despite you being against it? I mean, ever before Dad died, you…" She was cut off by the feeling of her face buried to her mother's shoulder. Cecilia presses her head gently as she held tighter.

"That's not disappointment, dear.. You're following your dream! You and your father's dream… And it's slowly becoming reality! How could I be disappointed with that?" Cecilia pushes her away gently to get another good look at her daughter's eyes, the way they still glimmered, but at the same time, they seem lifeless. She wondered if it was only now or had always been and she only bothered to notice at this very moment.

How far had she gone away?

Cecilia lets out a rueful smile.

"Honey, I've never been more proud of you…"

Tears begin flowing from Whi-Two's eyes.

"Y-You mean that…?"

Cecilia puts her hand on her daughter's face. Then she nods.

"You know I'm only antagonistic about it because this is the same way I lost your father, and I don't want to risk losing you, too." She leans forward and brushes her lips on the younger's forehead.

"I'm running out of family…"

Whi-Two finally smiles beneath a few sniffs, raising her arms to wipe away the tears.

"Thank you, Mother…" she whispers. "A-And I'm sorry, I lied…" She takes a deep breath, and then breaks it with a giggle.

"I guess I better tell Inspector the jig is up. I think we left him with Jeremy there…"

Cecilia gasps softly.

"Oh, my…" she claims, looking back at the living room where they left the boy. Then she pauses, and looks back at Whi-Two.

"'Inspector'?"

Whi-Two's eyes widen a little as she looks back at Cecilia.

"Oh, uhm…" she begins, rubbing her arm a bit forlornly.

"Nate is my… Unit Inspector…"

Cecilia blinks in disbelief.

"A boy that young is an inspector?!" she claims. "Like _that_ kind of inspector?!"

"The one dad wanted to be, yeah…" Whi-Two mutters under her breath.

Another glance of disbelief from Cecilia to Lack-Two's direction, before returning to her daughter.

"My, my…" she mumbles.

"Yeah…" Whi-Two shrugs sheepishly. Then, with a moment of hesitation, she adds:

"He's also my mentor."

At that, Cecilia's brows rise.

"Oh," she mouths. It was then that she finally decided to have another glimpse of him. She walks towards the kitchen door and peers through the small window. "Nate" and Jeremy were still talking, the earlier evidently growing uncomfortable with the latter's moves. But still, he went with it, still smiling like he was having fun, as he was doing all night. Although now, from where Cecilia stood, she could finally see the uneasiness in the way he moves.

She returns to Whi-Two.

"That boy must truly care about you for agreeing to go through all this trouble for your sake."

At that, Whi-Two almost laughs.

"Oh, no, no," she waves in refusal. "La—I mean Nate is really doing this for the sake of our jobs. He just didn't want me to get in trouble, because if I did, by virtue of this mentor-mentee relationship we have going on between us, he would've gotten in trouble too. H-He's not doing this for me… E-Essentially..."

Cecilia only nods absent-mindedly as she continues watching Lack-Two trying to shake the presumably drunk Jeremy away from him, albeit politely. Whi-Two somehow thanked her mother for her inattentiveness, otherwise, Whi-Two would have had to explain how all this was in any way connected to her or her inspector's job.

"Really…" was all she replied. Whi-Two raises a brow.

"Mom…?"

Cecilia finally smiles as she eyes her daughter.

"I think you should cherish him."

-...-

"So, er…"

"Nate."

"Ah, yes, yes… Nate. _Mon amie_. Can I… Ask you about you and Roro?"

"Hm," he says as he hands over his glass for Jeremy to fill up. "Go ahead."

Jeremy takes a few moments, focusing on the other's glass as he fills it up with champagne. Then he hands it to him. Lack-Two once again goes through his usual routine of mixing it subtly by shaking the glass in a circular manner before taking a sniff, and finally, lifting it up to his lips.

"What do you you see in her?"

Lack-Two's glass halts halfway. He looks at Jeremy.

"Pardon?"

"Eh, just a random question," Jeremy shrugs, filling his own glass well. "Don't take it to heart. It must be the alcohol speaking…" He takes a long sip, expecting Lack-Two to do the same. But the later simply watches with an expectant gaze.

"You see, _mon amie,_ Roro… I can't deny that she is beauty. I mean, she does have the blood of a Lambert flowing through her veins." He gives Lack-Two a wink, and the boy nods good-naturedly, subtly inching himself away to the other end of the couch.

"And she's grace, too… Sometimes. But you must admit, there is nothing more endearing than a fine woman who is a tiny bit jumpy and on edge. Keeps life a bit more interesting, don't you agree?"

Lack-Two finds himself smiling at the thought.

"But let's admit it, _mon amie_. Roro is not really… the kind of woman a common _boy_ would fall for. She is simply too sophisticated for them, hence, her being rather unpopular with the opposite gender. But, ah…" He shrugs as he fills his cup again.

"Plus, her being a talented policeman is a bit of a wall. Scares off the other men. Thinks she might be too hard to handle."

"More like subdue," Lack-Two snorts.

" _Oui_ ," Jeremy agrees with disdain. "Silly, silly, simplistic Unova boys…" He takes another sip.

"But you, _mon amie_. You are different. Good looks. Good taste. Good manners—one complete package. So tell me…" He again yanks Lack-Two's hand to fill his glass again.

"What do you see in her?"

Lack-Two shakes his glass gently in a circular manner, watching the sparkling wine glimmer under the flourescent light as it splashes around. It reminded him of Whi-Two's eyes.

"How about…" he begins. "Instead of telling you what I see in her, I tell you what I don't see…"

He lifts his gaze to the kitchen door.

"I see no shred of falsehood in her words, no scant in her soul, and no prejudice in her eyes." He smiles. "And that's what I love about her. She's beauty, both inside and out. Pure. Unpretentious. Sincere… Everything I wanted to but can never be." He gives out a sigh as he takes a small sip.

"What I wouldn't give to let her be that way forever…"

Jeremy smiles at him as he leans forward and places his arm over Lack-Two's shoulders.

"Welcome to the family, _mon amie_!" he cheers.

Lack-Two smiles uneasily at him.

"Thank you," he says, flicking the man's hand away.

-...-

Lack-Two's view was already swaying that it took Whi-Two at least three tries to call him. And she was just standing next to him.

"Nate," she calls again, and it was only then that Lack-Two straightens up and looks up at her. Whi-Two was looking down at him, a mix of worry and something else in her eyes. Then her gaze slowly crawls to the man half-sleeping next to him. Lack-Two follows her.

"You look like you were having fun with my gay cousin," she says, trying to suppress a smile. Lack-Two's slightly weary eyes immediately widen. He immediately looks up to her, and Whi-Two nods slowly, still the same smile on her face.

"Well," he sighs, slowly standing up so as not to disturb Jeremy. Whi-Two immediately comes to his aid as he did, grabbing him by his arm.

His free hand flies to his temple.

"I think I should get going," he whispers. "If another set of your cousins come at me again with a new bottle of liquor, I might forget my call-sign next."

"Well, at least now I know what to throw at you at work whenever you're PMS-ing."

"As if you can afford the things I drink…"

"Oh, I was talking about Jeremy."

Lack-Two gives her a look, and Whi-Two only giggles. Then her giggle dies down as she looks up at him, a little more seriously now.

"Sir, we've been compromised…"

The alcohol must've gotten into Lack-Two because it takes a little longer than usual for him to understand what she meant. Then, from his peripheral view, he notices Cecilia watching them with an undecipherable smile.

She walks towards them, and Whi-Two lets go to make way for her to pull the boy into yet another embrace. This one was a lot longer, and a lot tighter—it made him almost uncomfortable. But the awkwardness was overpowered by unfamiliar warmth.

"Thank you so much for taking our Rosa all the way home," she says against his shoulder. "And thank you for always being there for her."

Lack-Two suddenly couldn't find the words to respond. He looks over Cecilia's shoulder, and finds Whi-Two looking at him with an almost apologetic smile.

Then Cecilia gently pushes Lack-Two away but holds on to his arms tightly.

"Please take good care of my daughter."

The confused inspector only stares at Cecilia, and then to his mentee, and then back. However, despite his confusion, he still found himself nodding.

"Don't worry," he whispers, soft enough that only Cecilia could hear.

"I always will."

-...-

"So, your mom already knows?" Lack-Two asks, leaning a bit against his car. Whi-Two shuffles a bit, playing with the small pebbles by their feet.

"Yeah," she smiles apologetically. "I've forgotten how sharp she was with things. Apparently, even _we_ couldn't get past her…"

"Well, she _is_ your mom. Moms are usually pretty good with detecting lies. They should really do the interrogations, if you ask me."

Then he notices the look of uneasiness brewing in her eyes.

"What did she tell you?" he asks, a little gently.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, really. I just…" She takes a deep breath, and bites her lips. "I was just seriously not expecting how the rest of my family have been waiting— _anticipating_ —for me to have a boyfriend. It makes me scared how they would react if they found out what my mother now knows…"

"Do you plan on telling them?"

"Well, the plan _was_ that I tell them that we broke up some time later because of schedule differences, or something to that effect."

Lack-Two thinks for a moment, and then nods.

"Yeah, I'd buy that story. Just try saying it to them with _out_ stammering, and you'll be fine."

Whi-Two giggles.

"They'd be devastated," she claims. Lack-Two raises a brow at her.

"Is that really the word?" he asks, straightening himself up. "You make it sound like us 'breaking up' is the worst thing that could happen to your cousins."

"Well, for one thing, they really liked you," Whi-Two argues. "Especially Jeremy…"

Lack-Two rolls his eyes, and Whi-Two laughs.

"And another thing is that they're gonna go back to fearing that I might never marry…"

"It's the twenty-first century," Lack-Two points out with disdain. "So?"

"That's what I tell them!" she cheers. "Honestly, with the amount of things I have in my head right now, it's really no big deal for me whether I die alone or whatever…"

"Well, if you put it that way, it does seem alarming..." Lack-Two thinks for a moment.

"Have you considered owning a hundred cats?"

Again, Whi-Two laughs. Then her face suddenly grows solemn.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

Whi-Two looks at Lack-Two for a moment. Then she scoffs and shakes her head with a small giggle.

"...Nevermind. It's stupid."

"I'll tell you what's stupid," Lack-Two slurs. "Me driving my mentee across the region all the way to her family to pretend to be her boyfriend only to be busted by her sharp-smelling mother, and now I think I just drank myself silly with her gay cousin who might have gotten to second base with me."

At that, Whi-Two laughs.

"Besides, I am slightly intoxicated right now…"

Whi-Two grins at him.

"Intoxicated Inspector?" she suggests, earning her a playfully exasperated face from her inspector. The boy runs his hand down her face in annoyance.

Whi-Two only laughs as she shakes him away.

"Look," Lack-Two tries again. "My defenses are down, so I'll accept anything without prejudice. If I were you, I'd just say what I want to say."

Again, the solemn look in her eyes return. Slowly, a small, almost sad, smile forms.

"Do you think I even have a chance? With all these romantic things? I mean, you're the one who keeps pointing it out, I'm hopelessly clueless with—"

"Yeah. I think you are."

Whi-Two trails off, and looks up. at him. Then she lets out a giggle. a nervous one.

"You're drunk, Inspector."

"I'm not drunk," Lack-Two denies. "I never get drunk with champagne. And even if I we're drunk, I'd still say the same thing: You have a chance. You're goddamn loveable."

Whi-Two blinks at him.

"Really? You're… Not just saying that?"

"No." His hand flies to his temple again.

"Flattering you is not part of my job description, Detective."

"Lack-Two…"

"Take it from your intoxicated inspector who's dated several kinds of women, and to some extent men: you're loveable. But you know what will make that a lot better?" He lowers his hand and gives her a smile.

"If you acknowledge that yourself."

Whi-Two is speechless for a moment. Now that she's thought about it, she and Lack-Two had been alone like this all evening, and for the most part Lack-Two barely gnarled at her, let alone barked anything hurtful to her face, and it was problematic. She's just gotten used to his sour attitude that suddenly talking to him while he's like this has been throwing her off.

Does alcohol really do this to people?

She looks up to him, and almost laughs at how drowsy he looked.

"...You know, I think I'm gonna like intoxicated inspector Lack-Two."

"Make the most of it, then. I am never drinking that much again." Then he sneers at her.

"Curse your cousin and his French wine."

Whi-Two giggles.

"Mister Perfect easily lured by French wine?" she teases. "My, what a plot twist…"

Lack-Two shrugs.

"Everybody has their own Kryptonite." Then he gazes at his watch, and frowns.

"I best be going. The bridge closes in two hours."

For the second time since. they stepped out, Whi-Two's face fell.

"Are you sure you'd be okay driving? It's late, and you're... Well." She eyes him from head to toe.

"I'm what, Detective?"

"Please stay the night, Sir," she begs, ignoring his question.

"My mom certainly won't mind."

Lack-Two only chuckles.

"That's sweet," he claims. "But I'm going to need to return this car to my brother before he starts missing it too much. He's holding my car hostage, you know."

He pushes himself away from the vehicle, opens the door by the driver's seat, and then throws his coat in before slamming it shut. Then he returns to Whi-Two to say one last farewell but finds her still with a genuine look of concern in her eyes.

Lack-Two almost hated it.

"I'll be fine," he presses, but Whi-Two was unmoved. He groans.

"Okay. Then give me at most one hour."

"Sir?"

Lack-Two takes a moment to respond, typing something in his phone.

"If after that hour and I still haven't texted you, I give you permission to go on panic mode and call my brother."

Then he presents his phone to her. Whi-Two only stares at her.

"Don't worry. My brother knows where I am. He'll know what to do."

At that, Whi-Two seems convinced. She takes out her phone and starts typing.

Lack-Two watches as she slowly straightens herself up.

"Can I go now?"

The girl stares at her phone for a long moment, taking her time before replying. Then she looks up at him and smiles.

Lack-Two was about to reiterate himself but was cut off when Whi-Two suddenly flings herself towards him. The young inspector was dumbfounded.

"Thank you, Sir," she breathes. "For tonight. For agreeing to this stupid nonsense. For… For everything." She smiles against his shoulder.

"You're incredibly nice…"

Lack-Two starts to relax his breathing. Whi-Two could feel his tensed muscles slowly loosening from underneath her.

"Only on occasion," he whispers. Then he lets out a soft gasp when he feels Whi-Two hold tighter.

"I don't say this as much but, I'm really lucky to have you as my mentor."

Lack-Two watches the top of his head, feeling a slight burning sensation running up his spine, through his ears, and ending up on both his cheeks. Shakily, he starts lifting his two hands in an attempt to hug her back, but he hesitates halfway through, and with a sigh of dejection, he drops them both to his sides.

"Be as swift and almost undetectable like this during combat practice and I might just say the same for you."

 **-Mission 5 Status: Accomplished-**

" _ **Ranking in the UPD is based on number of cases solved. Upon graduating from the Unova Police Academy in Aspertia, an officer is considered a Trooper, the base ranking of all UPD Officers. After solving enough cases, it will be under the discretion of the Trooper's Colonel if they will allow the officer to rank up.**_

 _ **A Trooper may select between two tracks: a Sergeant or a Detective. (More information regarding the two tracks will be provided further in this chapter). Each track contains three ranks: Third-Grade, Second-Grade, and First-Grade, with First-Grade being the highest. Only those ranked as First-Grade can qualify to move on to the more advanced tracks." - Excerpt from the UPD Trooper's Manual, Chapter 2: Rank**_

 **DISCLAIMER: I do not speak French at all, and most of the phrases or words I've placed here are just taken from a quick Google search. Please do point out any possible errors or racist commentaries of any kind. Thank you.**

 **And because it's Christmas, here's a little bonus for you guys :)**

Lack-Two almost drags himself to his bed before diving face first towards it. Then after letting some of the dizziness escape him, he rolls over to his back and looks up and watches his ceiling.

The warm light emanating from it was enough to help him drive himself to sleep, but after realizing he still had to change and get ready for bed, he immediately fights it off. He tirns his head to the phone in his hand, and suddenly remembered that someone was waiting for him to text back.

Gathering whatever was left of his energy, he lifts the phone up and starts typing.

 _I'm home now. Are you happy?_

He was about to close his eyes when his phone suddenly vibrates.

 _Rosa B.: Yes :)_

He was about to type something in reply, but his phone vibrates again.

 _Rosa B.: I don't want you to die on me, inspector. I don't think my heart would take it. You're one of the very few things that makes sense to me right now._

Lack-Two finds himself smiling before erasing what he had initially typed and replaced it with only two words.

 _I'm flattered._

His phone doesn't vibrate after that. For the next minute or two, he was simply staring at the screen, waiting for something not even he could identify. Then as he was about to press "close", he mistakenly presses the "call" icon.

The boy starts panicking as he hears ringing from the other line. He struggles to try and stop the call, but somebody was already speaking.

"…Inspector?"

"Ignore this," was his immediate greeting giving up on his fingers entirely before nearing the phone to his ear.

"My phone called you by accident. Sorry about that. Goodnight, Detective…"

He was about to press "End Call", but as he brings his phone away, he hears something from the other line.

"Sir… ?"

Hesitatingly, he returns the phone against his ear.

"Yes?

"Inspector? I've been thinking about what you've told me. About your previous girls' tendencies to fall in love with only the face, the hair, the car, the wealth, and never with the policeman? And I realized something: you don't know how to choose your girls."

Lack-Two's forehead creases as he listens on.

"I think you can choose both dream and love if you choose the right dream and the right love. And you already have the right dream. You just need to find the right love. Someone who'll fall in love with the way you smile or the way your eyes shine when you talk about your dream."

The young inspector averts his gaze from his ceiling and directs it to the direction of his phone.

"Like the way yours do?" He immediately winces, mentally berating himself for letting the conversation go even longer than it should have.

There was the sound of a soft breath from the other line, indicating a smile.

"...Frankly speaking, sir? I'd fall in love with Inspector Lack-Two more than the dashing Nate Alart. If…" A giggle.

"If I'm given a chance, that is."

At that, Lack-Two starts feeling the warmth from all the alcohol he's taken that night come back to haunt his body. The back of his free hand flies to cover his eyes.

At least that portion of his face was burning.

Slowly, he lets the hand slide down to reveal his eyes. It stays on top of his mouth, and he feels his lips brush against it as he mouths the only response his sorry, intoxicated head could think of.

"Permission denied. Stop saying such nonsense, Detective."

 **Merry Christmas!**


	6. Mission6

"So, the king finally decided to return to his throne."

Lack-Two lifts his eyes from his phone's screen to turn to the girl emerging from rooftop access stairs. She gives him a short glance from head to toe before resorting to her usual giggle.

The inspector simply rolls his eyes as he returns to the railings.

Lai continues to giggle as she strides towards him.

"What are you doing out here, Inspector?" she playfully asks, joining him by the railings.

"Your fans club downstairs might start missing you."

"Haha," Lack-Two scoffs. Lai's giggle evolves into laughter.

"Gets you every time, doesn't it?" The girl produces and hands him a can of cold beer.

"It's not your usual grade-A French-ass wine that you're accustomed to, but this is just about the best thing I could find in our coolers."

Lack-Two lets out a small and soft chuckle as he reaches for it.

"Thanks, Lai. Much appreciated."

Lai beams as she produces another one for herself. The two open their cans almost simultaneously, filling the silent evening with the sound of the alcohol's hiss.

"Cheers," they both greeted, letting the tip of their cans meet before taking one big gulp.

Lai was the first to ruin the mood, letting out gagging noises as she pulls the can away from her mouth. Her fellow inspector watches on.

The female inspector made a face.

"I'll never understand why you people like this stuff…" Lai momentarily lets her tongue out in disgust.

"It tastes like alcohol."

"That's because it _is_ alcohol, Lai," Lack-Two replies, taking another swig. This time, he took a little longer, completely emptying the can of its contents. Then, with a loud sigh, he lowers his can, and starts crumpling it with his hand.

Lai watches on with curiosity.

"Besides," Lack-Two continues, placing the crushed can on the ledge in front of him. "If you didn't like drinking, then why on earth did you get one for yourself?"

"Experience," was Lai's dry response.

The brunet raises a brow and casts her a sidelong glance. Lai acknowledges the evident curiosity in the boy's eyes with a knowing smile.

"I've learned from experience that when you want to hold a conversation with someone, you should at least learn to drink what they're drinking." She takes another short swig, and then gags.

"Sadly, they don't teach you that at the Academy."

Lack-Two hums in agreement, his eyes slowly returning to the scenery.

"If that's what you're aiming for, then come back again at a later time with _Jacques Selosse_ on hand."

"As if my paycheck can cover at least one glass of that…"

Lack-Two smiles, his eyes not escaping the scenery.

Then his phone rings.

"No, but seriously, what are you doing out here, Nate?" Lai stretches her neck to catch a glimpse of the ground, about seventeen feet below them, colorfully lit in the spirit of the occasion.

"It's been awhile since you last clambered up here." Then, she returns his gaze to him, her green eyes peering through her round, gold-rimmed glasses.

"Did something happen?"

Lack-Two shrugs.

"Nothing out of the ordinary…"

"I highly doubt that," Lai snorts.

"You _are_ Mister Perfect after all."

"Even Mister Perfect has his down times," he returns, finally letting a smile and even a chuckle escape his system. Then his smile slowly dies as he returns to his phone.

"And frankly, he prefers those times over the lavish ones."

Lai looks at him questioningly, and when she knew she couldn't decipher anything, she lifts herself up a bit to peer at his screen, which Lack-Two immediately hides away. At that, the blonde lets out another giggle.

"Ah, Nate, predictable as always." She lifts the can up to her lips once again, and still with the same result. With a groan, Lack-Two steals the drink from his colleague's hand and finishes it in one gulp. Lai watches on with amusement.

"Dang," she breathes. "If I knew you were this much in need, I would've dragged the whole cooler up here."

Lack-Two finishes the beer with a gasp.

"Why didn't you." As he did with the one prior, he crushes the piece of aluminum and then places it next to the first one.

"Fayba of Traffic Enforcement is guarding the table," Lai replies with a sad sigh. Then she looks up at him again, this time a little more hopeful.

"So," she perks. "Are you drunk enough yet to tell me what's going on with you?"

Lack-Two only remains his gaze at the city skyline.

"Try a little harder, Lai."

Said inspector only rolls her eyes and groans in defeat. She steps forward and leans against the railing, leaving the cold metal bars as her only support to keep herself up.

"You know, you've been like this since you got back from Striaton…" she half-whines, half-grumbles. "Normally, you only get this weird when you've just broken up with one of your women…" Then her eyes light up in recognition.

"Did you meet an ex during Detective Rosa's family reunion?!" she asks, more excitedly than with worry. Lack-Two only returns with a deadpan stare.

"No," he spits before returning to his phone. Again, Lai tries to take a peek, and Lack-Two only brings the phone farther from her side. Lai pouts.

"Well, you're no fun…" she huffs, returning to her initial position. Then she straightens herself up again, discovery in her eyes.

"Is it Detective Rosa?"

Lack-Two only continues swiping against his phone. A grin of triumph washes over the female inspector's face as she gives him a knowing look.

"It _is_ Detective Rosa, isn't it?"

The boy only blinks. Lai laughs.

"God, I'm good," she sighs, wiping a tear away.

"Really," her colleague finally replies, a small smirk forming in his face.

"Because my definition of 'good' in your ranks is being able to guess it right the first time…"

"Hey, I'm a detective, not Nostradamus," Lai argues.

"And even Nostradamus didn't get things right the first time. Enough with the impossible expectations, gosh… I'm not even under your unit."

Lack-Two only chuckles.

"...So, what about Detective Rosa?"

The boy continues to keep mum. But Lai was already convinced.

She leans against him and starts nudging him with a meaningful smile.

"Did it finally happen? Are you and Detective Rosa...?"

"No. We aren't."

Lai again pouts. But she was persistent. She wouldn't have reached where she was if she was otherwise.

"Oooh! But is she…?"

The question catches him a bit off guard, involuntarily reminding him of their recent exchange the night after he drove her all the way to Striaton to meet her family.

 _I'd fall in love with Inspector Lack-Two… If I'm given a chance, that is._

Lack-Two had to shake the thoughts away. He had to remind himself of what those words really meant, and how his mentee was really like when she said those words to him.

"Drop-dead tired and was off it"—that's what she called it. Normally, Lack-Two would never accept such an atrocity to be an excuse, but for that one—that particular incident that stole away sleep from underneath his nose—he'll accept anything.

"Nate…?"

"I don't know," he mumbles. "And, truthfully, it's not in my best interests to try and get inside that frivolous head of hers."

Lai shakes her head up and down, and unconvincing look of convincement on her face.

"Right," she drawls. "Okay."

Then she sighs.

"...Well, what about you?"

His answer, to both their surprises, was quick.

"I'm honestly not sure…" he sighs, putting down his phone for a moment. He glances off into the vast horizon of Nimbasa, silently tracing the silhouettes of the skyscrapers against the moonlight.

"Never really found time to give it some thought. You know what happens when I do..."

It was only then that the mocking glint in Lai's eyes completely fades.

"Nate…"

"But, I sure do hope it doesn't come to that, Lai…"

Said inspector looks up at him, a questioning look in her eyes. Lack-Two takes note of it for a moment before looking away again.

He considers for a moment, and with a sigh of resignation, he finally surrenders his phone to Lai. The girl cautiously reaches for it, surprised at how quickly the boy gave in to her.

Normally, it would take her a longer time, and usually with more alcohol.

She quickly scans through the wall of text, and soon, the expression on her face changes again, this time from confusion to sincere glee and ecstasy.

"Nate!" she cries in excitement, both hands flying to her mouth as she gushes.

"You're scheduled for an interview already?! That's so great! I'm so…"

The look on her colleague's face kills of the growing excitement within her. This time, she immediately understands.

"...Oh."

Lack-Two gives her a rueful smile.

"Realize how much of a cumbersome thing it would be for the both of us?"

 **A/N: Warning: Talk of blood and rotting flesh. Will not be described in thorough detail although I've been told that a warning would be nice.**

 **Mission_6: Solo**

Whi-Two once again scans her eyes around Lack-Two's empty office, and after finally convincing herself that it was, indeed, empty, she hums convincingly to herself.

"But today's a Monday…" she mutters to herself. She fishes out her phone to check her messages, in case she missed something from him—a notification, perhaps?—and what greets her was their last conversation about two nights ago, when…

...When she told him _that_ embarrassing message.

The girl had to cringe, grasping her phone a bit tightly, trying to squeeze away the feeling of shame from her limbs.

It really wasn't in her best interest to tell her inspector _those_ words, and on an evening when she was at her most vulnerable state. To be quite honest, she couldn't even explain herself what came of her to make her say what she had said—frankly, "tired and off it" was not really a convincing excuse.

But Lack-Two took it and accepted it—or so he said—and Whi-Two should've left it at that. Her inspector seemed to have done so.

 _Then again_ , she thinks a little sheepishly to herself. _He's probably encountered those kinds of messages his entire life. He's definitely used to it by now._

So, why does she still feel like there was something still gnawing inside her stomach whenever she thinks about seeing her inspector?

Whi-Two inwardly groans.

 _Why are you like this, me?_

"Detective Rosa?"

The girl turns abruptly, her senses still used to being called by her real name.

Lailani of the CSI-U waves enthusiastically at her, immediately setting the stack of documents on her hand on the stack held by the officer walking next to her. The poor officer struggles to balance the tall pile as the blonde inspector gave him a good-natured slap. After a few inaudible instructions thrown to the poor officer's direction, she sends him away.

Then she approaches Whi-Two with a cheerful smile.

"Hey, sweetie! Long time no see!"

"Inspector Lai," Whi-Two beams, letting the blonde pull her in for an embrace. It was always a bit more fluid and informal when it comes to their relationship, a giant contrast to hers and Lack-Two's which was more stiff and formal. As a matter of fact, in Whi-Two's whole stay in UPD-Nimbasa, she's only saluted to Lai only once: that first time, when Lai immediately reprimanded her for doing so.

Even if Whi-Two has gotten used to being around Lack-Two and his cruelty during work hours, the young detective still won't deny the fact that Lai's presence was like solace to her.

"It's good to see you again..." Whi-Two greets in her usual soft voice.

Lai nods gleefully.

"I'm hoping you've had fun during the holidays?"

"Oh, I did," Whi-Two nods. "Frankly I prefer the pastel colored celebrations back at home than the blaring holiday colors of Nimbasa."

Lai chuckles.

"I know what you mean," she laughs. "The glare can sometimes be unnerving."

Then she notices the paper bag in Whi-Two's hand.

"What's in the bag?"

"Oh…" She follows her inspector's gaze.

"Oh! Tarts. I decided on making some to give around the station. I have one specially packed for you." She fishes one box and hands it over to Lai.

"Take it as a late holidays gift…"

"Aww, sweetie, thank you!" Lai takes a moment to peer through the box's transparent lid.

"I didn't know you bake…"

The detective giggles sheepishly.

"Well, my mom helped. She insisted I bake some to give Lack-Two but I decided to make enough for everyone."

A glint of recognition passes through the female inspector upon hearing her colleague's name.

"Oh yeah! Nate went with you to your family reunion, yes? How'd that go down?"

At that, Whi-Two's expression immediately changes.

"It was... Fine.." she mumbles.

"H-How did you know about that?"

Lai beams at her reassuringly.

"Nate tells me everything."

"Oh."

 _Everything...?_

Whi-Two abhors the thought of Lai finding out about her previous blunder. But at the same time, she considers it a bit advantageous.

Maybe Lai could help her ease herself about it…?

"Do you…" Whi-Two begins, but chickens out halfway through and immediately changes the topic in mind.

"...Also happen to know where Inspector Lack-Two is right now?"

The smile on Lai's face was exchanged for a slightly surprised look.

"He didn't tell you?"

Whi-Two looks up at her, a look of confusion in her eyes. At that, Lai scoffs.

"Ah, classic Nate," she mutters to herself. Then she faces the lost detective.

"Nate took a weeklong leave. He said he had personal matters to take care of."

"Oh." There was an evident drop in Whi-Two's voice upon hearing it. A feeling of disappointment and something else she couldn't recognize passes by her.

She slowly lifts her phone to check on it again.

As if something changed since she last did.

"I wonder why he didn't tell me…"

"Oh, that's just Nate being Nate!" Lai was quick to attempt to bring the mood back.

"He usually doesn't tell people about his personal life unless he feels like he needs to. As a matter of fact, he only tells me these things because he expects me to do his work for him while he's gone. The nerve of that guy…" She lifts her gaze up in hope that the disappointed look in Whi-Two's eyes disappeared.

It has, but it was replaced by a look of desolation.

Lai finds herself smiling softly. Whi-Two still had so much to learn.

"Don't worry," the inspector almost coos. "Your mentor will be back before you know it. So, don't miss him too much, alright?"

At that, the young detective glows. Lai had to fight off a brewing laughter from inside her.

"In the meantime, how would you like to accompany me to an assignment?"

The expression in Whi-Two's face changes again.

"Huh?"

Lai makes a face.

"To be honest, Nate's been hogging up your time over the past few months. You're also a member of the CSI-U, I'll have him know." Then she smiled enthusiastically at the forlorn girl.

"What do you say?"

"Uh…"

"Perfect!"

-...-

The two sped across Nimbasa's roads, all the way to a portion where Whi-Two had never traipsed before. She feels a weird feeling in her stomach as she looks out the window momentarily, feeling nauseous at the sight of almost empty streets.

Whi-Two's gotten used to Nimbasa's population right about now. As a matter of fact, she's gotten so used to it that even the thought of even just a portion the city being empty—and on broad daylight too—was almost unthinkable

And yet here they were on what seems like a dead community. It was almost like they were in a dead city.

The young detective faces Lai, a look of worry and reluctance in her eyes. Lai returns it with her default cheerful beam.

"I'm sorry," she almost chirps, returning her eyes back on the road. "Is my driving that bad?"

Whi-Two feels an exasperated groan attempt to escape her lips.

Why do people keep asking her that?

"N-No, it isn't that, Inspector… Your driving is fine..."

"Hmm," Lai hums, drumming on the wheel. "Okie dokie, then."

Whi-Two sighs as she returns to the window next to her once more.

"Inspector," she begins. "When you said 'assignment', what exactly did you mean…?"

Lai gives a short glance to her direction before going back.

"I meant exactly that," she says matter-of-factly. "A report came in this morning, and since most of the people under my unit have already been deployed, I had to take this one. And since Lack-Two's not here to guard you down like a hawk, I thought, might as well bring you with me." She smiles at her.

"We could use your remarkable observation skills on this one."

"But, I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to expect, Inspector…"

At that, Lai only retains her smile. Then she laughs.

"I'm guessing this is something new for you, Detective," the female inspector explains. "Though, I'm not surprised. All of my subordinates who were also assigned under the SUU gets all weirded out by how different the two units work." Then she lets out a loud gasp, making the detective jolt slightly in surprise.

"That's right…" Lai mouths. "You've never been on an assignment under _my_ unit before!"

Whi-Two didn't know whether she should be overjoyed or even more confused with her superior's statement. Lai seemed to be more of the earlier than the latter.

"Yeah, that's probably it," Lai mumbles gleefully to herself. Then she looks up, as if in deep thought. Whi-Two had to suppress a scream.

 _Inspectors and their dangerous driving quirks_ , she thinks disdainfully to herself.

"Well, how shall I put this…? My Unit and Nate's are polar opposites, you see…"

 _Just like your personalities_ , the young detective silently added, adjusting herself to her seat. It brought her back to one of her initial qualms the moment she first stepped inside UPD-Nimbasa's station: how on earth could people like Lai and Lack-Two even get along when their personalities are more different than night and day? Perhaps, "opposites attract" is not as much of a nonsensical statement as Whi-Two would've thought.

"Unlike Nate who throws files and folders after another to his subordinates, I require my officers to rely more on reflex," Lai was saying. "Being undercover entails being ready for anything, given that we can't really control when crimes happen around the city. Much as I'd like to be like Nate and tell you what to expect and answer all your questions with the utmost skill of a Nate Alart, I just can't… So I'm just going to give you the same advice I give everyone…"

The vehicle suddenly goes into a halt, almost throwing Whi-Two and her female superior forward. She looks outside for a moment, and what greets her is the image of a tall, abandoned building by the roadside. The car windows were rolled down for the most of their trip, but Whi-Two was only able to take heed of it when the pungent odor started wafting across her nose, making her recoil slightly.

It smelled of rotting flesh. Whi-Two had to stop herself from gagging.

She looks back immediately to Lai, who still retained her default smile despite the pressing atmosphere that slowly eased towards them the longer they sat there.

"Expect anything," the blond says with a wink.

-...-

The odor grows even stronger as soon as Whi-Two steps into the vicinity, being led by the still standing-strong Lailani. She grunts, her hand flying to her nose as she faces outwards in hope of straying her senses away from the smell. An officer re-fastens the police tape across the entrance before joining them.

"What's shaking, Driftveil?" Lai greets a group of police officers flocking around on one spot. A significant number of officers from the group collectively groan as they watch the blond approach in that rhythmic and jovial way that she does.

A woman cop scorns as she fastens her gloves.

"Oh, great, Main is here," she grumbles, rolling her eyes.

"Lovely to see you too, Remmie," Lai beams before she started looking around.

"So, what are we looking at here?"

"It's Rennie," the female officer sasses, crossing her arms hotly. But still, Lai was unfazed. Rennie only groans.

"And you're looking at a case closed," she almost spits. "Honestly, I don't get why we have to wait for Main to pack up. You people take too long to get here, and it's not like you provide us with better results anyway." Rennie releases her arms from the knot she formed in front of her breasts but only to place them on each side of her hips in the form of fists.

"You don't even send the better-looking ones…"

"Aww, good job, Rexie!" Lai cheers, lightly clapping her hands together, much to the girl's annoyance. "I can always count on your troupe to get things moving! Too bad the higher-ups don't think likewise…"

Whi-Two would've laughed if the situation wasn't so inappropriate.

Lai continues scouting the scene through her round glasses.

"So… she hums, now bouncing slightly as she beamed at the fuming Rennie.

"...What are we looking at?"

The female officer grumbles, but seeing that she had nothing to say that would break the inspector's _annoyingly_ good mood, she finally complies. Throwing her hands in the air, she gestures for one of the officers, and then faces the two.

"Follow me," she almost growls to Lai's cheerful smile. Then she takes a sharp turn on her heel and starts marching deeper into the building, with some officers tailing behind her. Whi-Two watches them form an almost single file as they went through the narrow aisle, and only breaks away when she finds Lai looking at her, possibly seeing if she was okay.

"Uhm…" the young detective begins.

"Yeah," Lai giggles sheepishly, returning her gaze to where Rennie and her team are going. They seemed to be caught on by something—the growing power of the pungent odor perhaps?—but soon, they begin treading the narrow aisle once again.

"UPD-Nimbasa isn't really a _favored_ station among nearby cities…" She shrugs good-naturedly before starting to make her own way to the group of officers. Whi-Two meekly follows, but was stopped by an officer from behind. He was wearing a face mask.

"You might want to…" he trails off, not able to retain eye contact with Whi-Two for more than a few seconds. But Whi-Two takes note of the mask in his hand, and she immediately understands.

"Thank you," she nods shyly, taking the piece of cloth in relief. Then she remembers her inspector.

"What about…?" She refers to Lailani with her finger, but the officer only smiles.

"I think Inspector Oudir will be fine."

-...-

 _Painful_ —that's what Whi-Two first thinks when she sees the body dangle over their heads, a piece of sharp wood that seems to be a broken beam pierced through the body's chest. At first glance, the wood appears to have been the only thing suspending it in place, but Whi-Two soon notes the rope that was tied around its neck. The other end was tied to a bar by the ceiling.

Whi-Two had to look down for a moment to contain herself.

"...Summary Execution," Rennie was explaining to Lai. "Not really something new around these areas. Although we can't really identify much from the victim given that he's halfway through decomposition, we can confirm that this man—at least, we think he's a man—belonged to one of the gangs around here, and either he was caught red-handed by their boss or by some drunk policeman or another. Regardless, he turned into that." The female officer grimaced.

"What a way to leave this world…" she mutters. Then she returns to Lai, who was taking down notes on her notebook. Whi-Two thinks to herself whether she should be doing the same thing.

"Anything else you want to know, Oudir?"

"Yups," Lai quips, tapping the tip of her pen to the dotted page.

"Why on earth is the poor lady still up there?" She looks up again, and her smile grows slightly softer. Whi-Two decides it was out of pity.

"You can't really identify how she died exactly if she's way up there and we're way down here…"

"Why else would she?!" Rennie retorts defensively. "It's because of you and your stupid Unit's protocol that we don't touch the body unless people from main arrives!" Then she fumes.

"And excuse me?! Lady?! Were you even listening, Lai?!"

Lai only nods, pointing her pencil upwards at the corpse.

"That's Hubris," she points out, gesturing at the fading blue top worn by the victim. "I'm thinking size 10, given the victim's height, but I may be wrong. Regardless, Hubris has a certain design to their clothings that would make _sure_ it fits only _women_. And not just any women…" Lai lowers her pencil and starts tapping it lightly on her cheek.

"I wrote to Hubris dozens of times and _still_ they won't release blouses my size... " She sneers to Whi-Two's direction.

"Talk about inequality, am I right?"

Whi-Two felt a giggle escape her.

Rennie only looks at her with disbelief.

"It could be a man with feminine physique," she claims dryly. "Someone incredibly slim, for that matter."

Lai's eyebrows rise.

"Maybe," she hums. "But given how she's—and I use your words for this one, sweetie—'halfway through decomposition'... How would you say that assumption would play out?"

Rennie shakes her head at her.

"What?"

Lai faces one of the officers, the one standing near Whi-Two.

"Somualde," she calls. Said officer jolts.

"Based on appearance alone, giving what you learned from the Academy, how long would you say our victim over here has been… 'hanging out'?"

Somualde is taken aback, and shifts his gaze between Lai and Rennie. Then he swallows hard as he tries to voice out his answer.

"I would say... " He looks up momentarily.

"Six weeks, at least, I-Inspector…"

Lai looks up as if to make calculations as well. Then she nods, seemingly satisfied.

"Yeah, I can buy that," she mumbles gleefully. Then she faces Rennie.

"So six weeks, and we play with _your_ assumption that the victim was a man with… 'feminine' physique. Give or take… body mass of about fifty…" She looks up again.

"Is _that_ was a fifty-kilogram man would look like after six weeks of being a corpse…?"

Rennie does not reply, and only looks at her with contempt.

"Thought so," Lai grins sincerely.

"And how does _your_ assumption play in this whole affair, Oudir?"

"If a grown man were to have a body to fit in that size of a blouse, he's malnourished, and as a dead body, he'd rot easily." Lai takes away her notebook and pencil, and fishes out her phone.

"But say it was a woman, there's a higher chance she was a healthy fellow and could have survived those six weeks and still look human enough for us to find." Whi-Two and the rest of the officers flinch as they listen to Lai's phone make a click sound as she starts taking photos.

"Of course, that's only _my_ premature observations… Pretty sure we can make better results when we get that body down here…"

Rennie glares at Lai for a moment, but slowly follows the inspector's direction of sight, and looks up as well.

Then she groans in defeat.

"Gener, Yoani," she barks, looking away.

"Start getting the victim down."

-...-

The officers lay the lifeless body down gently by Lai's feet, careful not to touch any part that are in danger of coming off. Lai only nods at them politely as they begin to step away.

"Much appreciated," she beams, throwing the two officers off-guard.

Then she regards Whi-Two.

"Your turn, Detective."

Whi-Two's, and several other officers including Rennie's, head shot up in surprise.

"Ma'am?" she squeaks.

"Oh, what now?" Rennie growls, stepping forward, directing her almost permanent glare towards Whi-Two. The latter immediately shrinks back in fear.

Rennie faces Lai again.

"Can't we leave the rest of the observations to the medical examiners?! You've already _made_ your point…"

"I'm flattered," Lai breathes, her hand flying to her chest as if she was touched.

"But sadly we're not here to _make_ a point… We're here to solve a case." Then she faces Whi-Two again.

"Go right ahead, Detective."

With doubt in her eyes, Whi-Two steps forward carefully, and after eyeing Rennie and the rest of her team cautiously, she starts putting her own gloves on and crouches down next to the corpse.

She was about to lift the victim's blouse up when she feels the heat of someone's gaze burning against her nape. The young detective had to look up again.

Rennie's stare could set a human on fire.

"Oh!" Lai suddenly cries, hitting the bottom of her closed fist lightly against her open palm—a gesture of realization. "You guys haven't met detective yet!" She bends over and grabs Whi-Two by the shoulder and pulls her as she stood back up.

"This is Detective Whi-Two!" she cheers, not heeding the look of surprise and disgust coming from the other party. "She's one of our newest recruits back at Nimbasa, a recently-promoted trooper all the way from Aspertia! Say hi, Detective…"

Whi-Two only eyes the group in cautious fear.

"H-Hello…"

Rennie eyes her down with disdain.

"That's Third-Grade Detective Renegarde Bustamante of UPD-Driftveil," Lai points out. "One of the best there is in their division. I should know because Rebbie and most of her team here used to be my cute little junior back at the Academy!"

"If I was such a treasured junior, then why the hell can't you even get my name right?!" Then, Rennie returns her look of disgust back at Whi-Two. Again, Whi-Two could only back away.

" _You're_ Detective Whi-Two of Nimbasa?" she spits darkly. "As in _the_ 'Reliable Rookie' from Aspertia?" She looks up at Lai and almost screamed at her beaming face.

" _That's_ Inspector Alart's mentee?!"

Lai's smile grow wider and happier.

"Yupsies, that's her!"

Rennie, and for Whi-Two, the rest of the female populace in the group save for her and Lai, all shot a glance of shock to her direction. Whi-Two could feel herself shrinking smaller and smaller the longer her inspector kept her in the spotlight.

"The hell?!" Rennie cries, her voice evidently rising. It reminded Whi-Two of one of the girls from her old high school.

"You don't even _look_ the part…" she almost screams. Several nods of agreement came from the group.

"How could you be paired up with someone as great and as a _mazing_ as Inspector Alart?!"

Whi-Two was slightly thrown aback by the statement. She watches as Rennie, seemingly having had enough of Lai—and to some extent, her—walk out, fuming. Two or three officers scurry on after her.

Lai finally lets her go, and gives her a pat on the back before assuming a place on the other side of the corpse. She squats down while she puts on rubber gloves, and Whi-Two immediately follows suit.

"Uhm," she begins, watching as Lai fingers through the victim's face.

"Inspector, did I do something wrong...?"

"Oh, it's not a matter of what you did," Lai replies cheerfully. "It's a matter of who you are…"

The look of confusion does not leave Whi-Two's eyes.

"Girls from all over UPD will go neck and neck just to be assigned on the same station as Nate… Now that you're his mentee and is essentially at the highest spot every female officer could possibly hope and would probably kill for…"

She raises her hand up, and something white and slimy stretches from the victim's mouth, much to Whi-Two's chagrin.

"...You're basically Female Populace Enemy Number One. Congrats!"

-...-

The people in uniform started wheeling the victim, now peacefully and tenderly wrapped in white cloth so as to give it a more respectable deliverance, into the vehicle. Whi-Two watches the scene with a forlorn look in her eyes, seemingly in a trance, and was only awaken by the sound of the vehicle door's loud thud as it closes before her.

She blinks for a moment, and then goes back to her initial business of picking at her rubber gloves, now filled with blood and other questionable slimes and mucus. Then she feels a presence creep up behind her.

Whi-Two raises her deep blue eyes, and what meets her is the ever-comfortingly cheerful countenance of her female superior, contrasted almost too immediately by Rennie's frown of disapproval, and disgust. The latter lets out a snort of derision before crossing her arms defiantly and addressing her with contempt.

"So, you think the victim died of gunshots, is that it?" she almost spits at her. Whi-Two again shrinks back before nodding. Rennie again rolls her eyes, a little more frustratingly now.

"Then what the hell was the rope around her neck and the broken beam stuck through her chest all about? A show?!"

Whi-Two swallows hard. She once thought being around Lack-Two had prepared her for people shouting at her for no apparent reason, but somehow, she's only grown accustomed of her mentor's voice and no one else.

"P-Probably initial attempts," she almost whispers, her voice jittery in fear.

"I-It could be that her assailants tried to kill her slowly as a form of torture, but were interrupted by something, forcing them to quicken the pace...?" Whi-Two fidgets with her fingers as she looks down.

"I-I can't really say much without input from the medical examiner's office…"

Rennie glares at her and was about to say something more when Lai grabs her shoulder gently, as if to stop her. Then she gives Whi-Two a reassuring smile.

"You've already said plenty, Detective," she grins. "Good job!"

Then she turns to Rennie.

"I take it you can take it from here, Ritchie?"

"Okay, now you're just doing this on purpose…"

To that, Lai only laughs, hitting her irritated former junior playfully on the back. Rennie rolls her eyes, but nonetheless mutters an affirmative response. Then she returns her gaze one last time to Whi-Two.

"Soft-voiced weaklings like you don't even deserve to be near Inspector Alart…" Then she takes a quick turn in that military-like pace of hers, and marches towards the vehicle, barking orders to the rest of the policemen as she clambers up its passenger seat. Whi-Two only looks on.

"God, everytime I see her, she acts more and more like Nate when in the office," Lai sighs, joining Whi-Two's side. "Talk about 'boy crazy'..."

"Where are they taking the body, Ma'am?" Whi-Two suddenly asks. Lai casts her an innocent glance.

Then she smiles.

"Where else? Nimbasa's morgue, of course!" Lai disposes of her gloves.

"Now, for secondary area search…"

The young detective blinks, a question preparing to brew within her. But it immediately died away when she sees Lailani suddenly turning on her heel. She starts marching back towards the abandoned building.

"I-Inspector?"

Whi-Two's eyes darted towards the rest of the police vehicles that were beginning to leave the area one by one. Then she returns to Lai who was already by the entrance, bending over to pass through the police tape that blocked it from the outside world.

"Inspector Lai…?"

The girl starts jogging to where her inspector was, again looking around to see if some officers still stayed and were doing the same.

But no one else was left but the two of them.

Whi-Two thinks against it, but she nonetheless follows after Lailani, crawling underneath the yellow tape to enter. As soon as she straightens up and dusts herself off, she finds Lai looking at her sadly. Then she returns to her usual beam, and gestures with her head to the direction of the narrow aisle they had passed through not too long ago, signalling for Whi-Two to follow her.

Then she was off again.

Whi-Two could feel tremors of uneasiness pass through her, making her wrap herself in her long, slender arms out of instinct. But again, she nonetheless follows.

Lai didn't seem to show signs of stopping anyway. Not even to see if she was tailing behind her.

Soon, the two reach the post where the victim was perched. The wood that struck through her was still stained with dry blood. The odor, much to Whi-Two's chagrin, still lingered around. She looks up to see if Lai was still walking, but the female inspector only stood just below the broken beam, frozen.

Whi-Two carefully walks to her side. Then she looks up to note the expression on the blonde's face.

It was undecipherable.

"Inspector…?"

"You know my mentee was a victim of a summary execution," Lai suddenly quips, wistfully. Whi-Two was taken aback.

 _Mentee…?_

Lai good-naturedly shugs.

"Yeah…" she says, almost too sheepishly, like it was nothing but an embarrassing experience from her past and nothing else. But the way her eyes softened told a different story.

"His name was Yuri, a young detective originally from Driftveil Division who was reassigned to Nimbasa because of 'massive potential'." She pronounced the last two words with slight mockery, almost like disgust. Whi-Two felt something inside her fall.

That was how they referred to _her_.

"Since he was part of Driftveil's CSI-U, it was inevitable that he was assigned under me. I was only a newly-appointed inspector for the unit at that time, but Chief Aldin thought it was genius that he also assign me as a mentor for that bright-eyed and ambitious detective. He said it was 'learning experience' for both the kid and I. It was the first time in my whole life that I was directly responsible for someone else aside from me, and of course I was more than willing to be there for him..." She heaves a weary sigh, her smile growing slightly bitter as she looked down and shook her head.

"Then he learned about the SUU, and he was _head_ over _heels_ convinced it was what he wanted. So he immediately signed up for the position, and it doesn't take long for him to be assigned his first mission—the one that will decide if he really was fit to be part of the unit." She walks forward, and runs her hand against the wooden post, feeling its ragged surface with her calloused fingers.

"It was the first assignment where I couldn't accompany him, given I wasn't part of SUU, but I still wanted to be… _useful_ to him. I became a supportive mentor. I kept telling him to go for it, and even had Nate to give him pointers when he did."

Lai's gentle stroking slowly turned into clawing, her nails digging against the lumber, feeling the small splinters digging back underneath her nails. Whi-Two could only look on.

"But even with all that preparation, his first mission still ended up turning into a disaster…" Her lower lip quivers. Whi-Two could see it from where she stood. She considered approaching the older, but something from within her stopped the girl before she could.

It was only then that she realized that Lai, despite her common disposition, was the least approachable of all the people she's encountered in UPD; she was welcoming, but she was almost unapproachable.

"Yuri disappeared from UPD's radar for such a long time that being compromised and killed for it was the only plausible explanation we were able to give. No corpse was shown. No message. Nothing." She turns her head, and looks at the direction of the aisle they just passed through. In her head, she pictured the vehicle that contained the victim from a while ago, now being peacefully driven to where she would hopefully find her eternal repose after being abandoned for so long.

"...That woman was lucky enough to even _be_ discovered," she says with remorse, but the smile was slowly going back to her face. Whi-Two was feeling slightly relieved.

Then she notices Lai now looking at her.

"You know, I'm envious of Nate sometimes," she suddenly claims in her singsong voice. "He gets a cute little you for a mentee, and he's able to keep you by his side for a longer time than I was able to, with Yuri. Plus, you're both part of the SUU, so he has the opportunityto be with you through every mission. He can always keep an eye out for you." Another sigh—Whi-Two thinks that this was the last one—and as she takes that deep breath very, very slowly, the look of sadness and regret gradually leaves her system.

She was cheerful Lai again.

"I never had that opportunity with Yuri," she mouths with her signature cheerful smile. Whi-Two was about to react—she's been itching to do so the moment her inspector started talking about her and hermentor, but could not find an opportunity to do so. She opens her mouth in an attempt to comfort her inspector and tell her that she could always treat the young detective like her mentee as well, but her voice was replaced by an unprecedented shriek when she notes a figure move behind Lai, its form about to strike the latter.

Before the full sound of Whi-Two's scream was able to escape her throat, Lai falls unceremoniously into the ground, unconscious.

-...-

"Detective Whi-Two to Dispatch! Repeat: 'Detective Whi-Two to Dispatch!' We have a 10-33! I'm at Zone D-54 and Inspector Oudir is down! I need back-up!" Whi-Two barks helplessly at her radio, and just as it has the first time she tried to ask for help, the little machine only returns static.

No reception. Whi-Two was crestfallen.

"Oh, sweet mother of God," she cusses under her breath, pushing the refilled magazine back to her handgun. Then she looks over the large crates she and the unconscious Lai was hiding behind.

There was silence and darkness waiting for her.

After the third or fourth shot, the young detective was able to conclude that she was facing only one assailant, and given what she has in her arsenal, she was confident that she could take them down if she plays her cards right, or at least, escape the place unscathed. However, she was chased into a dark and foreign space, and to top it all off, she was alone with an unconscious officer that she can't drag around for too long without slowing herself down in the process. All she had as a chance to survive was to defeat the assailant, or at least make them go away.

Although the latter seemed unlikely, as the lone figure seemed to be armed, and she was the target.

Whi-Two clutches onto her radio in contempt.

The only way to go was chase after the predator.

She looks to her side, and eyes her limp inspector. Aside from the gnashing wound on her right temple which the girl had already tended to, Lailani seemed to be in good shape. Which means that she could leave her there for a moment without having to worry of possibly losing her in her slumber.

Whi-Two sure hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"I'll be right back, Inspector…" she whispers, before looking back to the dark and silent world beyond her crates. With a deep breath and a small, silent prayer, she stands up, and attempts to run as fast she could to the other end of what she thinks is a hallway. Still, despite the speed her legs could muster, several bullets were still able to land a few inches from where her feet had landed. With her heart travelling towards her throat, she leaps the last few feet of her journey and lands on another set of wooden boxes, shooting a few of her own bullets to the source's direction.

The sound of metal against metal was heard.

Whi-Two withdraws her gun for a moment and looks around, listening for any form of movement, regardless of how faint.

There was a scuttling from behind her. She snappily turns around and shoots.

Sounds of what seemed like falling boxes fill the scene.

Whi-Two retains her position, letting only her eyes move, waiting for the next sound.

More scuttling. Her body automatically veers to the source and she shoots.

The young detective repeats this dance for the next six or seven rounds before she hears the sound she was hoping for:

The exact same sound she'd heard the first time she let bullets out. It meant that she's able to journey the entire space with her bullets, and, now, she had more or less registered in her head a good enough image of what the whole place looked like.

On top of that, she can safely conclude that the assailant was only moving in circles, and seemed to run around in a yet unidentified pattern. Why on earth this person was moving a bit predictably was still unknown however.

Not that Whi-Two thinks it's significant information. She's heard what she needed to hear.

The girl cocks her gun calmly and deliberately, letting her current breath harmonize the click that came when she released the barrel. After waiting for her fingers to comfortably melt into the handles of her weapon, she proceeds to closing her eyes. With a short, silent prayer, she gradually straightens herself, allowing herself in full view of her assailant, but with her blind to anything but her own darkness. Then, she waits.

And as she had expected, the sound of a gunshot was heard before she could lock her knees into place. Moving quickly, she faces the source of the sound and unhesitatingly shoots. The bullet shot to her direction grazes against her upper arm, just before she attempts to crouch back down into safety. She could feel the nagging pain beginning to sprout from where she was hit, but it does not kill the brewing smile on her face.

There was no sound of a bullet hitting the wall, and the scuttle that was supposed to follow it came a little later, and the movement was slower.

Whi-Two was able to land a hit.

She absentmindedly raises her hand to her upper arm and almost screamed in pain, making her almost throw her own hand away. There was no blood, she was certain, but there was definitely something else.

Looks like she and her assailant are tied to one hit each. Although, not that it matters.

The young detective was able to slow the assailant down. And she's more or less memorized the place enough to know where the assailant can and cannot go. That is, of course, if they have no plan on escaping.

She hears the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. The girl takes a deep breath.

 _Now to finish this…_

Preparing her gun again, she listens as the footsteps gradually grow louder. Then, when she was sure that the person was behind her, and she hears the sound of barrel clicking, she immediately turns around and points. However, just as she was about to pull the trigger, the lights suddenly turned on.

Whi-Two freezes in shock at the sight of how her assailant was near her, the tip of his gun almost touching the tip of her nose. She was off by a few milliseconds, but she was able to react quickly enough so as not to get herself killed.

With trained reflexes, she was able to grab the assailant's outstretched hand, and pull him in to knee him on the gut. A gagging noise came from the other's mouth. Not giving him enough time to recover, she grips on his wrist with one hand while letting the other remain on his shoulder. Then, she pulls in opposite direction, twists, and locks the arm behind him.

Her force made him let go of his gun. It slides a few feet away from where they stood.

The assailant was struggling to free himself. Whi-Two had to grab his other arm and let it join the other, locked painfully against his back. Still, he thrashes to break himself free, his force strong enough to make Whi-Two move around as he did. But the girl's grip was too strong, even as he tries elbowing her gut to break himself free. After a few more futile attempts, he finally calms down, and drops to his knees, taking slow and deep breaths.

Still, Whi-Two does not let go, even to retrieve her handcuffs.

There was something about the man that scared her.

"So, the new recruit really is good…"

He elbows the girl to gut one last time, and as Whi-Two was momentarily distracted by his words, she was not able to keep her hold, and he escapes. He starts running towards his gun, but before he could reach for it, a bullet grazes against his hand and hits the gun squarely, making it slide away even farther. The man looks back to her direction with disdain, and Whi-Two only returns with her best version of a glare, her hands already performing the automatic dance of readying her gun for the next shot.

They lock eyes for a brief moment before the man runs again, strangely, not to the direction where his gun flew off. Whi-Two opted to hit him from where she stood—she was certain she could make the shot—but the man swayed so erratically as he did that she was afraid that she might hit him somewhere vital, killing him instantly.

And Whi-Two didn't need him dead. She didn't need anyone dead.

But she sure needed to stop that man from moving if she wants to survive this.

Quickly, she scanned her surroundings, and found crates stacked in levels—almost like ladders. She followed the stacks, and found that they reached all the way to the end of the hallway, where incidentally, the man was also heading to. Without giving herself the time to think, she starts for the stacks, and as soon as she reached them, she began climbing.

The man looked behind to see if the female detective was still in pursuit, and was slightly surprised to see that she was nowhere to be found. But still, he does not slow down, afraid that the girl might suddenly surprise her. There was no way of knowing what she'll do.

She was as dangerous as they had said.

He takes a sharp turn, and feels relieved at the sight of an open window. He was about to pull up his hoodie over his head to cover his face, but was stopped when he suddenly felt something drop towards him from somewhere above.

Its weight was enough to throw him to side, making him land on his face, and when he tries to turn and see what it was, he finds the tip of a gun pointing in between his eyes.

The girl's blue eyes glowed with an icy glint.

"Who are you…" she growls, maintaining her position. Both arms were outstretched to rest the gun properly, and her two legs straight but not stiff—an image of a calm that would bring but her to their knees in fear. At least that's how Whi-Two like to think she was.

She takes a good look at her assailant, and was slightly surprised that he only stared back, his obsidian eyes smeared with a look of contempt. She then takes note of his hair, and his form, and was able to conclude that she has never in her whole life encountered this man before.

Yet here he was knowing a thing or two about her.

"Who are you," she tries again, this time a little louder, but still she was met by the same silence. Feeling that starting a conversation with him is futile, she shakes her own qualms away, and starts to fiddle with her belt for her handcuffs. As soon as she frees the tool, she cautiously tries to proceed closer.

It was only then that the man speaks up.

"For someone with such a remarkable set of skills, you sure let your guard down too easily."

Whi-Two was about to react, but she hears the sound a gun being cocked, and though she was fast enough to turn while preparing her own gun, she was still beaten by a millisecond.

"How unbecoming of an SUU officer…"

Almost as if it was in slow motion, she felt the bullet pierce through the right side of her chest, the force enough to push her backwards. She loses her footing out of shock, and she could see her world flip as she falls to her back.

Soon, the view of a silhouette aiming a gun at her was replaced by the image of a ceiling.

A few footsteps, and soon, she could see the assailant's face peering down on her, a look of disappointment in his face. Then he points a gun to her face. Whi-Two could only watch helplessly.

"Good night, Rookie…"

It was the last words she hears before another gunshot was fired.

-...-

When Whi-Two came to, the first thing that greeted her senses was the strong and pungent smell of arsenic.

The kind that she knew she couldn't take, but also the kind that she knew she could be relieved about.

The smell of rotting flesh and fresh blood had completely left her system that the former felt only like a dream.

Except that the brewing pain on her shoulder told her otherwise.

"...Detective Rosa?" A soft gasp to the positive. "Detective Rosa!"

The image of one of her inspectors' faces swayed viciously as soon as she opened her eyes. It takes her a number of blinks to refocus herself, and when she did, what greeted her was the horror-stricken look in Lailani's face. A joyous albeit impish grin was somehow added to the mix, but Whi-Two could still note the remnants of terror in the blond's eyes.

"Thank goodness, you're okay…"

Whi-Two takes a moment to let her own words out.

"...Inspector Lai…" she acknowledges. Then, with a heavy grunt, she struggles to prop herself up to a sitting position, applying pressure where pressure wasn't wanted.

The young detective had to suppress a scream at the burning pangs of pain that danced around her right shoulder. And thankfully, she was successful.

"...Where are we?"

"Nimbasa hospital," Lailani replies. "We're at the ward reserved for UPD officers…"

"What…?" was Whi-Two's weary reply. Then her body jolts involuntarily, and before she could control her own movements, her left hand suddenly flew to her right shoulder, then throbbing insurmountably.

"Careful…" Lai's voice was low and warm, almost accommodating, but she was physically distant, retaining her position, staying still. "I think the anaesthesia is starting to wear off."

She barely moved a muscle to approach the girl, let alone help her, and for that, Whi-Two was also thankful.

The last thing she needed today was pity. She already had a surplus of that, all directed towards her own pathetic self.

Despite the pain, Whi-Two was still able to find her words, and that, for her, is a good thing.

"...What happened, Inspector?"

Lai stares at her for a brief moment, as if she was trying to read something, then she looks down sadly, the look of terror now being replaced with uneasiness.

"I'm not sure… Details are still a bit hazy for me too. All I remember is that we were talking and something hit me and I lost consciousness. Next thing I knew, I was watching you being mounted into a stretcher. Bleeding. Profusely. I…"

There was an evident hitch in her voice, and Whi-Two had opted to pretend to have not heard it. (She knew from experience that when people are trying to be strong, the last thing they would need was for someone to point out the cracks in their armor).

Lai turns away for a second to wipe a tear away. Whi-Two had to look down in embarrassment.

"...Sorry, I was just…" Lai sighs, finally deciding to walk a little nearer to her.

"I promised myself I won't be like this in front of anyone ever again. But just seeing you… All bloodied and unconscious…" She takes a deep breath, once again finding her composure.

Lai finally gives her usual, cheerful smile.

"I'm just glad you're okay…"

Whi-two finds herself smiling back.

"I'm glad you're okay, too…"

Lai nods, taking another effort to come nearer. She perches gingerly at the corner of her bed.

"How about you, sweetie? Do you remember anything? About what happened to you?"

Whi-Two looks elsewhere for a moment, thinking hard. Although there are vivid images in her head—images she hopes she can erase but know she can never do—but she cannot weave them into one coherent narrative. All she could see was darkness, and even she knew that what she saw won't amount to anything.

Added to that is that fact that she has trouble deciding which of her memories are fake or not.

The young detective feels the pressure of her Inspector's gaze pull her back, and after a few seconds of contemplating, she slowly, and sadly shook her head.

"No," she whispers.

It was faint, but Whi-Two caught it: the sudden drop in Lailani's disposition, which she quickly masks with a rueful smile.

"I see," the older whispers back. "Okay. That's fine, I guess. I'm not going to force you to remember. But given the blow you took…"

The blonde's green eyes landed squarely on Whi-Two's arm. The latter finds herself following, a sad, forlorn look in her eyes.

"...How bad is it?"

Whi-Two does not reply. She simply looks away, absentmindedly holding the wounded shoulder with her other, free hand.

Lailani sighs.

"The doctor said that it might leave a mark… at the very least. But he could only make sure once he gets to talk to you…" A short chuckle. "I was hoping maybe I could… you know… In case you don't feel comfortable talking about it with strangers. I figured maybe you'd want to.."

The two lock eyes for a moment—each with an undecipherable look in their respective gazes. Lai was the first to drop hers to the ground, the rueful smile finding itself back on her face.

"...Yeah… Well… I hope it's not as bad as we think..."

"I'm sorry."

The sudden quip coming from the brunette's lips surprises the blonde, making her look back. Whi-Two has completely turned her head to the other direction. Away from her.

Lai had to pause for a minute before saying something again.

"W-What's there for you to apologize about? If anything, I'm the one who's supposed to say sorry. I was such an incompetent inspector that you…" Lai once again pauses, taking a deep breath. The pause was so abrupt that Whi-Two had to look back.

"I'll make it up to you somehow, Detective… I'll find the person who did this to you. Make sure he never comes for anyone again…"

"Inspector…"

Whi-Two was cut off by the sound of a phone beeping. She watches as the other fumble around her jacket to fish for the device. Lai gives it one short glance before grimacing.

"It's about time…" she mumbles with disdain. Whi-Two blinks in confusion.

Lai had to smile apologetically.

"I've been… trying to call Nate all day." Then she returns to the phone with a snide expression.

"...And he only chose to reply now…" Lailani starts typing furiously, muttering what seemed like her response under her breath.

"Sending strongly-worded message of disappointment… now."

Whi-Two all of a sudden felt her mouth go dry at the thought.

Her inspector.

Lack-Two.

She almost forgot about Lack-Two.

If Lack-Two finds out…

Whi-Two struggled to get words out of her lips.

"I-Inspector Lai…?"

The female inspector turns her head to the young detective.

"C-Can you please… N-Not tell Inspector Lack-Two about what happened…? At least to me…"

Lai looks at her with confusion and slight disbelief.

"...Why not? Honey, Nate's your mentor. He—"

"I'm always… messing up, Inspector… And I think I've developed this unhealthy habit of relying on him to fix everything for me… This was… This was supposed to be my first mission without him… If he finds out that I…" Her voice trails off, her tears getting the best of her. She feared her message didn't come across, but fortunately, Lai anticipated what was to come next.

Thought it did not mean she understood.

"Detective… If you're scared that Nate will be mad at you for 'messing up', I assure you that…"

"That's not the point!" Whi-Two's voice was soft but sharp, if ever that was possible. This was certainly Lai's first time hearing of it.

"Whether or not that's true is not the problem… It's _this._ The fact that the first thing he hears about my first mission without him is… _this_ … I…" She swallows. Hard. Lai feared for her.

"I can't bear him knowing that I'm still a failure, and that I'm as good as dead without him…" Whi-Two struggles to look up at Lai, taking in the sea of concern drowning away her emerald irises.

"Please, Inspector Lai… Don't…"

Lai was about to reply, but she was cut off by the sound her phone's ringing.

Lack-Two was calling.

"...I-I think he's getting worried for my lack of reply…" Lai absentmindedly announces. "I-I think he's getting the sense that something's wrong. Nate has always been good at this…"

"Please, Inspector…"

"You know, Nate and I tell each other everything, Detective… No holds barred."

Whi-Two watches her sadly. Lai had to take a deep breath, averting her gaze to someplace else.

"...But I basically owe you my life, so…"

Though it was faint, there was a glint in Whi-Two's eyes. Lai returns her gaze to her just in time to watch the glint fade away.

"For the record: I still don't approve of this… And if anything, I'd still want _you_ to tell him eventually…"

There was a dubious look in the girl's eyes, but she nods nonetheless.

Lai takes yet another deep breath. The longer she stayed in that room, the harder it was for her to breathe.

It didn't help that her phone was vibrating furiously from goodness-knows-how-many-times Nate had been calling. She stares at the screen shortly before returning her gaze to Whi-Two, whose sad, pleading gaze from before was slowly transitioning to drowsiness.

Lai felt another lock of her short blonde hair turn grey.

They are seriously not paying her enough for this.

"I better go and take this in the hallway," she says out loud, almost to herself, as Whi-Two was already halfway past gone.

"Or else, we'll _both_ be in trouble…"

 **-FIN-**

" _ **Apart from the SUU, a unit exclusive only to the main division, all units from all divisions are interconnected, and answer to their respective counterparts from main division. This is to ensure that all cases within the Unovan area of responsibility are centralized and properly circulated among all divisions." - Excerpt from the UPD Trooper's Manual, Chapter 4: Units**_

 **Well, I certainly owe everyone an apology, but hey. I may be a late-ass uploader, but at least I'm a late-ass uploader wHO JUST GRADUATED FROM UNI**

 **EIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

 **...But seriously, though. Sorry.**


	7. Mission7

**Mission_7: Character Definitions**

The doorbell resounded along the entire, almost empty hallway, making the girl shiver slightly.

For such a big and glamorous hallway, Whi-Two wouldn't have dreamed it to be so…empty. Quiet. Lonely.

Again, she looked around, checking—and, perhaps, hoping—that there was another soul scurrying about, easing herself off the worry that she may have the address wrong and this apartment—the whole goshdarn building—was an abandoned vicinity and that she may have entered a potential crime scene without noticing.

Whi-Two had to shake her head at the thought.

 _You've been watching too many police thrillers lately, girl. Pull yourself together._

With yet another deep breath, she lifts her hand up and once again tries for the doorbell, perhaps for the seventh time since she arrived.

And still, as it have been six tries ago, no one was there to answer.

The girl heaves another weary sigh.

"Maybe he's not home…"

Or that she got the wrong place. That was still a possibility.

Groaning to herself, she fishes for the piece of paper stuck in her purse and reads it again.

"Room eighty-eight… Fourth floor… AXL building...Gimmond street…" She looks up at the golden plate right by the door, and true enough, the address matched, all the way to every dot.

 _Yet why…?_

Whi-Two looks down on the paper again.

Is it possible that Inspector Lai gave her the wrong address, by any chance?

Whi-Two finds herself snickering.

"Look at you, Biden…" she mumbles. "Rushing all the way to the other side of the city… Following an address you can barely read… Dragging what seems like your entire kitchen… All because you…" Another sigh before looking up at the door again.

"You don't even know if he wants to see you…"A groan.

"Go home, Rosa... "

And Whi-Two was about to do so when she suddenly hears the door knob clicking. She watches as the door slightly opens, and the familiar set of brown hair peers out, followed by a set of equally familiar reddish-brown eyes. They eyed her wearily for a moment—perhaps trying to assign a name to her face—and when they were sure of an identity, Whi-Two watches as the door completely backs away, revealing the complete image of the young detective's mentor. His eyes were beginning to transition from weary wonder to hostile questioning, but Whi-Two was too busy marveling at the boy's disheveled appearance to even notice.

Lack-Two straightens himself a bit after finally confirming that the girl was, in fact, his mentee, and despite his slightly flushed skin, he was still able to pull off a menacing glance.

"Detective," he addresses her, his voice low but curious. "What on earth are you doing here?"

It was only then that Whi-Two wakes up from her trance, and panickedly rips her gaze from Lack-Two's bare skin back to his piercing eyes. Although it does not take her long enough to drop her gaze back to where it was originally perched.

Every rise and fall of Lack-Two's upper body muscle was much more toned without the shirt on, and Whi-Two immediately hated herself for even letting herself take note of each detail, for even letting herself look _long enough_ to be able to do so. Again, she tries her mightiest to raise her gaze up to where his eyes were and found that they were still glued to her, still waiting for a response.

And judging by the way those irises would look like they could shoot daggers through her system, she knew she had to think of a proper one.

"G-Good evening, Sir..." she stammers, looking down and clutching onto the paper bag she held between her fingers.

Lack-Two raises a brow at him.

"Excuse me?" he asks, his voice a dangerous rising intonation. Whi-Two could feel her chest burn, both out of fear and out of spite.

 _Sick, my foot_ , she thinks bitterly to herself. It was either Lai herself was just as unaware as she was, or this was some weird code her two inspectors used with one another, and she was just misinformed.

Because one thing is for sure, whatever this Lack-Two in front of her was right now was anything _but_ "down with the weather".

Said inspector grows impatient, and starts crossing his arms in front of his chest, a sign that he wanted what he initially asked for, and he wanted it _now_.

But Whi-Two was too busy finding a place to land her gaze to that would make her feel less scandalous than she already did.

"So, what? Are you going to answer my question or are you just going to stand there ogling at my crotch like..."

" _I'm not ogling at anything_!"

Lack-Two noticeably winces at that, and it throws Whi-Two a bit off. Her hands fly up to her mouth in shock, and she had to shrink back when she saw that her mentor's response to it was an even more annoyed expression.

"Oh damn, that was irritating," he groans, rubbing his temples frustratingly with his fingers.

"For the love of your god, Whi-Two, do _not_ screech like that again!"

"I'm sorry!" Whi-Two immediately withdraws her outstretched arm away from him before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Sir. It's just that... Inspector Lai, she told me... You were... But you're not wearing a shirt... And I'm here at your apartment... And..."

To both their surprises, Whi-Two raises both hands to her face and lets out a high-pitched, peculiar noise as she presses both her cheeks in agony.

"Oh, my God, you have a woman in there, don't you?"

"I have a _what_?!"

But, Whi-Two was already waving his hand at him, dismissing the thought and whatever it was he were to say next, should he have any. Her face, too, was beginning to redden, gradually and involuntarily filling her mind with thoughts she would rather not delve into on a normal basis.

"I-I should go... Perchance, I could just see you tomorrow, while at work..."

"Whi-Two, what?!"

"No, really. It's fine. Just get back to whoever is in there, and we can pretend that this never happened, and..."

"'Whoever'—? Just what the hell did Lai tell you?!"

But Whi-Two's mind was vivid and even in her mind's own interpretations, the details are crisp and clear, and she would have fainted from mere imagination alone had Lack-Two not pull her back to reality.

"Get in here..." he hisses, pulling her in brusquely before slamming the door behind him.

-...-

Lack-Two dragged Whi-Two across the narrow entrance that connected his doorstep to his living room. Afraid of what she was to see the moment she stepped in, Whi-Two covers her eyes with her other free hand. Not that it matters whether she sees where she was headed or not—Lack-Two's firm hold seemed enough to guide her through what she assumes to be furniture that donned his hallway.

Soon, she feels him drop her arm with aggravation, and she was left to stand in the middle of somewhere. Her eyes were still closed when she lifts the newly-freed hand to join the other.

"Whi-Two, what the hell are you doing? Open your eyes."

"Not until you put a shirt on, Sir..."

Lack-Two looks at her disbelievingly, but nonetheless complies with a snort. He reaches for the folded gray shirt sitting quietly on his coffee table, and puts it over his head.

"I better get a good explanation for this," he grumbles as he pulls the hem of his shirt down. He looks at Whi-Two, and finds the girl still covering her eyes. Groaning, he grabs her hands and rips them down.

Whi-Two reacts with a small squeak. She slowly opens her right eye to make sure her inspector was decent, and when she found that he was, she heaves a relieved sigh and opens both her eyes.

What greets the girl was the disapproving scowl of her mentor.

"Need I ask again..." he softly growls. Whi-Two takes a moment to blink at him, refocusing herself.

"Uhm..." she begins, pressing her lips into a thin line.

"I... got worried, Sir..."

Lack-Two raises a brow at her.

"Worried," he repeats, with slight disbelief.

"I've been told that you'd be gone for only a week and by today you should've returned, but..." She starts shuffling on her feet.

"Inspector Lai said that you were 'down with the weather', and that it was kind of worrisome because you live alone, so I got worried, and..."

Whi-Two pauses slightly to raise her eyes to her inspector's face, only to find an undecipherable expression replacing the previous, more menacing one.

The girl feels her heart sink a bit.

"... Shouldn't I have come, Sir?"

Lack-Two hears the sudden drop in her voice, making him inwardly writhe in contempt for finding himself caring.

"Well, you're already here, so…" He sighs, dropping both her hands, and starts for his couch. Whi-Two follows him momentarily with her gaze, immediately noting the slight limp as he walked.

"It'd be terribly rude of me to suddenly throw you out of my unit for barging in unannounced…" He sits down with a groan.

Whi-Two makes a face.

"We can do without the sarcasm, Sir…" Then she notices him rubbing his foot in slight agony.

"A-Are you okay?"

"I feel fantastic, Detective, thank you for asking."

Whi-Two rolls her eyes as she makes her way to him and finds a place by his side.

"I mean, what's wrong with your foot?"

"Just numbing. It's okay. I get this every now and then…"

"I don't think that's safe. Have you gotten that checked or something?" And without thinking, Whi-Two reaches for his foot, and what greets her was Lack-Two recoiling.

"Hey, hey, hey," he almost hisses, much to both their surprises.

"Hands off, kid. I'm not your 'boyfriend' anymore."

"Will you _relax_?!" Whi-Two almost hisses back, reaching for him nonetheless. "My mom gets this a lot, too."

She reaches his foot and gently pulling it closer to her.

"Although she gets hers from old age…"

Lack-Two snorts, but finds himself giving in nonetheless, watching as Whi-Two pours her entire attention to his foot.

Not necessarily the kind of welcoming he expected, if he were to be honest.

Whi-Two must've felt him staring, and when she looks up to stare at him, he expertly drops his gaze back to his foot.

"... That's surprisingly helpful."

The girl only replies with an impish smile as she lowers her gaze as well, giving him another opportunity to look at her.

He blinks a few times before letting out a soft sigh.

"What did you say you came here for again?"

"I told you, Lack-Two, I was worried."

To that, he snorts.

"'Worried'..." He leans forward slightly to near his face to hers.

"Alright," he says. "The _real_ reason…"

"There _is_ no real reason. I mean—that's it. Nothing else."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Lack-Two blinks, tilting his head to the side to get a good look of her face, which she had opted to hide beneath her long pigtails.

"... Alright," he continues. "You just went all the way here unannounced even though you've never been here before and I've never told you my address... All because you were worried." He raises his brows.

"I guess I can lower my standards and buy that."

At that, Whi-Two finally raises her face up to him, and was taken aback by how close his face was to her. Lack-Two backs away with a grunt.

"Honestly, Lack-Two. Haven't you had _anyone_ worry about you and your well-being before?" she huffs.

Lack-Two was unfazed.

"Short answer? No." He sighs.

"Especially not someone whom I've only known for a short time."

To his surprise, Whi-Two gave him a look of indignance—though it did not last as long. She immediately lets it go with a sigh before lowering her gaze back to his foot.

"Well, I care about you…"

Lack-Two continues watching her, still a bit taken aback by her reaction from earlier on. When he's realized that she wasn't looking up anymore no matter how long he stares, he finally lowers his gaze as well.

"...Okay," he whispers, leaning against the backrest, looking away. Then, after a few minutes, he returns his gaze to her, and straightens himself again.

"How'd you know I was back?"

Whi-Two does not respond, but the young inspector didn't need one. Lack-Two heaves a sigh.

"Lai told you."

Still, Whi-Two remains silent.

Lack-Two shakes his head in mocking disbelief.

"I don't even know what else was I expecting."

It was only then that Whi-Two finally shoots up as she speaks:

"If it helps, I did not directly ask for this information from her."

"No, Whi-Two, I'm afraid it doesn't help at all…"

Whi-Two winces slightly.

"I still sound like a weird stalker?"

Lack-Two gives him a smug smile. "Your words, not mine."

Whi-Two finds herself groaning softly. Lack-Two only chuckles.

"Although, I'll give you this," he continues, leaning back again. "For someone who yaps almost twenty-four seven, Lai's surprisingly hard to crack."

Whi-Two looks at him, confused.

"...And you yet you were successful." He gives Whi-Two another smug smile.

"Says a lot about you."

Whi-Two finds herself smiling impishly in response, looking down. Lack-Two watches her for a moment.

"Alright. What else do you know?"

Whi-Two's eyes shift a bit before replying.

"Just that."

Lack-Two's face does not change. Whi-Two groans guiltily.

"...And that you went overseas... B-But that was more of an accident! I... Incidentally overhead Inspector Lai complaining about not being able to call you because overseas calls are expensive…" She then suddenly takes the courage to look up at him again.

"...And apparently you're not as pleasant a conversationalist through email."

"Neither is she, go on…"

Whi-Two gives another small smile.

"...That's really it. I promise."

At that, Lack-Two chuckles again.

"If you're scared that I'll think you're weird for snooping in on my personal business, you'll be happy to know that _this_ will not be the only reason for me to think so."

Whi-Two makes a show of rolling her eyes.

"But if you must know: yes, I was overseas, taking care of a rather personal business."

Whi-Two looks at him, eyebrow raised.

"...in Kalos?"

Lack-Two responds with the same expression. Whi-Two groans again.

"Okay, _now_ , I've told you everything I know... I swear."

She half-expected Lack-Two to give her a look of disapproval, but what met her was an amused expression.

"You know what's funny?" Lack-Two begins. "I'm supposedly your mentor and yet I frequently forget just how talented you are at what you do."

The words pull Whi-Two's attention immediately back to him. Lack-Two raises both eyebrows at her, his face void of any emotions.

"...I feel sorry for whoever ends up to be your boyfriend."

Whi-Two had half the mind to break his foot with her bare hands.

"...And how are things on your end while I was gone, Detective?"

Again, Whi-Two was taken aback.

Twenty minutes since he's let her in, and this is the only time he suddenly cared for how she was. And she was prepared too not to say anything. With a pause, she tries to look up at him again.

"It was… All good, I guess." Then she tries to scoff to make her look more nonchalant. But Lack-Two was already smiling.

"Heard you did well in your previous cases," he points out. "Apparently, the 'Reliable Rookie' is also an effective soloist now, huh?"

Without any form of warning, the young inspector leans forward and gently pats on the girl's head, making the latter slightly jolt.

"Congratulations on the promotion, Second-Grade Detective…"

"H-How'd you know about that?"

At that, Lack-Two snorts.

"You think you're the only one here who's good at prying information from people?"

"... I'm surprised that you actually need to pry…"

"Well, this _is_ Lai we're talking about, after all."

Whi-Two finds herself giggling.

"Besides," the boy continues. "This information, she's willing to give. After all, I _am_ bound to know eventually…" He gives her a knowing look. Whi-Two's gaze begins shifting again.

"...But I'm glad I found out a little sooner. I mean, you _are_ one of the first things I wanted to hear about while I was there."

"Haha," Whi-Two mocks.

"No, really," he shoots back.

"I mean, I'd want to know as soon as possible if it's already time for me to let you go."

The last few words catches Whi-Two's attention, making her look up one more time, this time a little more slowly. And carefully.

"...Sir?"

Lack-Two's expression seemed to have changed in that moment, like he, too, was surprised with his own statement. But like the master of subtlety that he was, he easily transitions the mood to something more light, reversing his face to what it was a few seconds ago, erasing any remnants of what had just transpired. It actually made Whi-Two wonder if she had just imagined the whole thing.

"So," the young inspector claims, gently pulling his leg away.

"Dinner?"

Lack-Two stands up and starts heading for what Whi-Two assumes to be his kitchen. Whi-Two immediately stands up after him.

"W-Wait!"

Lack-Two turns, and gives her a questioning look.

"I, uh…"she mumbles, gesturing at the bag she's left sitting there since her inspector dragged her inside.

"I brought some stuff…"

Lack-Two eyes the bag shortly before looking at her.

"And?"

Whi-Two bites her lips for a moment, immediately condoning herself for not thinking this a little bit more through.

"...Look. I considered cooking something for you, but then I remembered that you may have these weird trust issues, especially when it comes to people offering you food, so, uhm... I thought maybe I can still do that, but bring the process of cooking... Here." Then, she groans.

"God, I'm sorry, Sir. I'm not making much sense, am I?"

Lack-Two only continues to watch her.

"Yeah, you lost me at the: 'I considered cooking something for you' part."

Whi-Two gives him a look.

"Didn't you mention that you wanted to try my cooking sometimes?"

"I don't know. I say a lot of things."

"Well, you did," she pressed. "And I'm here to oblige."

Still, Lack-Two only watches. Whi-Two heaves a sigh.

"Look, if you're going to be that weird ass that can't accept kindness from others like a normal person, then fine. At least let me do this for you as a proper thank you... For what you did for me a few weeks back... And several other times before that."

The girl starts shifting awkwardly where she stood.

"I've been looking back, and I've realized how much you've been saving my butt ever since I was assigned under you. Consider this as my token of appreciation."

Lack-Two gives her one long look, tracing his gaze all the way down to her feet and then back to her face.

Then to both their surprises, he simply snorts.

"Is that the real reason?" he asks, a bit playfully.

"Are you sure it's not because you're trying to hide another major screw-up?"

The girl looks up at him in shock and fear.

"W-Wha…"

But Lack-Two immediately kills it with a chuckle.

"You know what? I'm too jet-lagged to even care. Lucky for you…"

He playfully hits Whi-Two's right arm, making the girl wince, a little bit more than any of the two would've expected. Whi-Two involuntarily whimpers, and her heart skips a beat as she wonders if her inspector had noticed.

Thankfully, he seemed to have not. Again, he starts heading for the kitchen, signalling for Whi-Two to follow.

"Come on, kid. This way."

Whi-Two follows Lack-Two momentarily with her gaze, absentmindedly reaching for her right shoulder. Her sweatshirt's sleeve have slid down a bit, revealing the bandages covering her recent injury.

She wondered if he knew about this too.

 _But Inspector Lai promised…_

Whi-Two heaves a resigned sigh before pulling her sleeve up back into place. Then she walks over to pick up her bag, and follows her inspector to his kitchen.

-...-

"Here." Whi-Two sets a tall glass of what Lack-Two could only describe as something he'd only seen in the cartoons his niece would sometimes force him to watch on a Saturday morning. He stares at it for a good minute or two, watching both in fear and in awe as the bright green liquid barely moved as his mentee slides the glass to where he sat.

"What the hell," was the only appropriate reply he could think of.

"It's an old family recipe," Whi-Two explains. "An herbal drink that helps soothe headaches and the like. Perfect for hangovers and jet lags…"

Lack-Two makes a face.

"What's in it? The blood of the Grinch who stole Christmas?"

"Jesus Christ, will you relax?!" Whi-Two claims, rolling her eyes. "There's nothing in there that would kill you."

Lack-Two looks up at her for a moment before picking the glass up and slightly shaking it.

"Judging by how the drink's so thick that it won't even move when I shake the damn glass, getting poisoned seems like the better option…"

Whi-Two gives him a look.

"Lack-Two…"

Said boy groans and rolls his eyes, before nearing the glass to his lips. Whi-Two takes that moment to return to his stove to get back to her cooking. Her inspector watches on, letting himself a good look of his mentee from where he sat.

 _One week_ , he thinks to himself. _I'm gone for one week, and all of a sudden, she..._

He tries to hold back a gag as he lets the half-finished drink down, his other hand wiping his lips. Then he looks back up to her again.

"Aren't you the least bit alarmed that you're alone with a guy in his own apartment?"

There was a stunning lack of reaction. Whi-Two barely even turns to acknowledge the possible gravity of his question.

Instead what Lack-Two gets is a slight shake of her head.

"Not really."

"Don't you think that's a little too trusting of you? I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't intend on doing anything questionable to you right now, but not all guys are nice like me."

Whi-Two finds herself snorting at the statement.

"And I won't lie," Lack-Two went on, this time watching as the incredibly viscous green liquid slide against the glass towards its lip, slightly irked at how slowly it reached his direction.

"You're a pretty attractive girl. I don't think the streets of Nimbasa alone will be forgiving."

"That's sweet of you, Sir, but I already have that considered." Still without turning, she pats the purse sitting calmly by a stool she placed right next to her. Lack-Two eyes it for a moment before returning to his original business of wondering when and if the liquid would ever reach his mouth.

"What? And you think pepper spray can protect you?"

"Oh, not pepper spray." With that, she finally turns to him momentarily with what seems like the sweetest smile he'd seen her do.

"A gun."

Lack-Two almost spits out the thick liquid from trying to stop a laugh.

"A gun?" he asks.

Whi-Two nods proudly. Lack-Two was slightly aghast.

"You... Have a gun in your purse?"

"A cute little Beretta Nano 9mm Double Action pistol..." Whi-Two describes, turning the stove off.

"I call her Janice."

Lack-Two slowly nods as he tries to stealthily reaches for his phone.

"...Sure you do, kid."

Whi-Two finally turns to face him, two plates in her hand, and notices Lack-Two typing something on his phone, and then nearing it to his ear.

"Inspector, what are you doing?"

"Not calling security, that's for sure."

Whi-Two jokingly tries to make a face, but was overpowered by her giggles. Lack-Two finds himself joining in, lowering his hand as he eyes the plate being served to him. Then he looks up, and watches as his mentee finds herself a place across him.

All of a sudden, the mediocrity of it all started hitting him in places he's least expected to be hit, and it made him ache a bit. Small enough for him to ignore, but sharp enough for him to wonder to himself what it was exactly that gnawed at his insides the moment all of it started sinking in.

Whi-Two notices him looking.

"What's wrong?" she asks, just in time for Lack-Two to lower his gaze back to his plate.

"You're not really fond of telling the people you're cooking for what in hell you're serving them, are you?"

The young detective blinks.

"You saw me cut up the vegetables and place them one by one into the pot… What can you possibly be worried about now?!"

Instead of answering, Lack-Two grabs his spoon, scoops a bit of what Whi-Two made, and nears it a bit to his nose before giving it a short sniff. Whi-Two gives him a look.

"Do you honestly think I'd poison you, Inspector?"

"Standard operation procedures, Detective. It pays to practice these things, especially in our line of work." After yet another sniff, he finally lets himself a taste.

"Can't be too careful now, can we?"

Instead of replying, Whi-Two simply rolls her eyes as she focuses on her own plate.

"Weirdo," she mumbles before taking a spoonful into her mouth.

"Takes one to know one, kid."

Whi-Two looks up at him indignantly, but her anger is immediately suppressed when she catches the other smiling to himself as he takes another spoonful. She finds herself smiling as well.

"Well, I happen to be a weirdo who can _cook_."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I met some interesting officers from other stations while you were gone," Whi-Two claims with a plastered smile. Then it gradually drops as a memory plays by her head.

"Like Detective Rennie of Driftveil…"

Lack-Two mindlessly nods.

"Oh yeah, Bustamante. Lai's junior. How is she...?"

Whi-Two bites her lips.

"Full of anger and contempt... Mostly directed towards me."

At that, Lack-Two looks at her.

"Why? What did you do?"

"Not so much as what I did… But more of who I am..." She clicks her tongue.

"She found out that I was your mentee. Apparently, that's a big thing around nearby stations."

At that, Lack-Two snorts.

"Lemme guess," he mutters, straightening himself to give her a look of genuine interest. "Lai told her?"

Whi-Two looks at him confused but nonetheless nods. Lack-Two chuckles.

"Figures," he says. "Lai worships chaos. She'd stage a cage battle with me as a prize if she can watch girls pull each other's hair with enough desperation." Another chuckle.

"One of the many things I like about her…"

At that, Whi-Two's eyes seem to glimmer. She finally gives her mentor—who, at that time, had already allowed himself to get lost in her cooking—a meaningful look. Lack-Two does not notice.

"It's amazing how a lot of girls from different portions of this country would fawn all over you and yet you, even at this time, are still single…"

"I'm picky with women," was his simple response, still slightly lost in his meal.

"Why, Inspector? What _do_ you look for in a woman? Blonde? A bit voluptuous? Kinda low maintenance?" Whi-Two slightly leans forward. "Wears glasses?"

It was only then that Lack-Two decides to look at her, a look of slight confusion in his eyes.

"You mean someone like Lai?"

At that, Whi-Two lets out a forced giggle.

"Well, I wasn't describing anyone in particular, Sir… Al _though_ , for her to be the first thing to pop into your head must mean—"

"She's the only one I know who's blonde and wears glasses, Whi-Two…"

Whi-Two's mouth immediately close shut. Her eyes fidget from side to side for a moment before slowly looking back at him.

"...Colonel Rikhard's blonde and wears glasses…" she points out in a soft voice.

Yet another chuckle escapes Lack-Two, almost making him spit his drink. Whi-Two felt herself be taken aback for a moment.

This has been the most time he's seen Lack-Two laugh, and she didn't know if she should even allow herself feel as relieved as she did at that very moment.

It was the first time she's tread over this side of his territory, after all.

"Oh God, is this your weird way of asking me if I like Lai?" Lack-Two asks, wiping his lips.

Whi-Two blinks a few times before looking to her side.

"Is it working?"

Again, Lack-Two chuckles, a little louder, almost close enough to be considered a laugh. Now, Whi-Two was slowly leaning towards being concerned.

There was a big chance her inspector might have lost it.

"Wow, it has been a while since I've been asked that," Lack-Two was muttering to himself, reaching over for the pitcher of water from Whi-Two's side.

"I'm going to make this as a simple and as easy to for you understand as possible." He then pauses for a moment to look his mentee in the eye.

"Lai and I are just friends."

"Yeah, but so were my parents back in high school, yet here I am some years later. Your alibi doesn't really account for anything."

Then she realizes who on earth she was talking to, and she had to add at the end a soft and almost pleading "...sir."

Whi-Two makes an attempt to let a chuckle leave her lips but what came out sounded more like nervous laughter. Lack-Two didn't seem to have noticed, as he himself lets out yet _another_ chuckle.

The girl starts feeling around for her purse, half-determined to leave the apartment alive, or at least with a fighting chance. But Lack-Two's next statement made her stop.

"Has Lai ever told you how we met?"

Whi-Two shoulders evidently drop in shock.

 _Did he just mention something remotely personal?!_

The girl decides to play into it.

"Uhm…" she begins, trying to reap through every almost useless thing Lai may have told her in the past. Needless to say, having been spending enough time alone with her for the past week, there was too much for her to go through before ending up with what she needed.

"You were in the same batch back at the Academy, right?"

"Oh, so she didn't tell you about how she was head over heels for this guy I was always with, and how she befriended me all for the sake of getting a chance with him?"

A giggle escapes Whi-Two. "No…"

"It's true. That sneaky blond was a user. Frankly, I just decided to roll with it for a good laugh. We became really good friends ever since."

"Wow," Whi-Two softly sighs, finally letting go of her purse. "I wouldn't have imagined your and Inspector Lai's beginning to be that…"

"'Instrumental'?" Lack-Two suggests with a smile. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. Plus, it doesn't really hurt to have a friend who's woman enough to be your occasional wingman, and at times, your voice of reason. And the way she'd shut people down with that savage tongue of hers? Police Academy has never been that much fun. Consider myself lucky we both found our ways intersecting into the same station."

Whi-Two feels a little part of her throat constrict.

She suddenly realized that he was talking about the same girl who almost died because of her incompetence.

Lack-Two finally empties down Whi-Two's concoction with a wince.

"Dang, it has a certain kick in the end there, doesn't it? I'm gonna need something to wash this down." He then climbs off his chair, collects his plate, drops it off as he passes by his sink, and then walks to a giant cupboard, a few inches taller than he was. He pulls open the wooden door, and what meets them was a cabinet version of a small bar, complete with glasses and several bottles labeled in languages Whi-Two could not comprehend.

"That's a _lot_ of liquor, Sir," she comments, watching Lack-Two sort through his bottles. He softly chuckles.

"I'll take that as a compliment anytime." He walks back to his table with a tall green one, and then produces two wine glasses from under the table.

"Champagne?" he offers, preparing to fill the second glass as he had with the first. Whi-Two immediately stops him.

"I, uh… I don't drink," she explains apologetically. "I don't think I'm allowed yet…"

Lack-Two raises a brow.

"How old are you again?"

Whi-Two makes a point to look to the side before returning to him.

"Twenty…" she answers, almost suspiciously.

Lack-Two thinks for a moment before raising his brow in acknowledgement.

"Wow, four years," he softly exclaims, retracting the second, empty glass and producing instead a mug.

"And yet you're almost as tall as I am…"

Whi-Two watches him as he walks to his refrigerator.

"Four years...?" she asks. Then, realization hits her.

"Wait, you're twenty-four?!"

Lack-Two's head shoots up from his fridge, a carton of juice in his hand.

"Yeah, why?"

"N-Nothing... It's just that…" Whi-Two watches as her mentor takes the mug and starts filling it.

"I swear, I thought you were younger than that…"

Lack-Two snorts with a smile.

"Can't say I don't get that a lot."

He hands the mug to her, which she accepts gratefully, and gestures for her to follow him back to his living room. Whi-Two only watches him.

Lack-Two feels his mentee staring. He turns, and gives her a look.

"What?"

"...I just realized that we've lasted this long working under the same office—let alone the same _unit_ —with me barely knowing anything _about_ you. I mean, yeah I know your name, your age…" Her eyes land on the already half-finished glass of liquor. "...And your alarming addiction to champagne."

"That's all you need to know about me."

"...And yet you know so much about me."

With that, Lack-Two sighs and rolls his eyes. Then he gestures yet again for her to follow him back to his couch, to which she now complies with.

"Okay," he begins, landing himself a place on his couch, setting the bottle on the coffee table.

"What else could you possibly need to know about me?"

The question takes Whi-Two aback as she finds a place next to him, but nonetheless, she speaks the first thing that comes to her mind.

"When's your birthday?"

Lak-Two exhales softly as he finished his glass.

"My birthday is in a need-to-know basis, and you…" He makes a point to pause and give her a look.

"...don't need to know."

"Really…"

Again, another sigh and a pair of rolling eyes as he leans forward to grab the bottle.

"May fourth," he mumbles, filling his wineglass. "I suppose you can do the math to find out the year…"

Whi-Two stares at him.

"Your birthday is on May fourth?" she repeats, holding back a giggle.

"Star Wars day?"

"That's not even the best part... Guess what my second name is."

Whi-Two thinks for a moment.

"...Darth Vader?"

"Close," Lack-Two sighs, taking a short sip.

"It's Anakin."

The girl's eyes light up.

"Anakin?! Really?!"

Lack-Two faces her.

"No."

Whi-Two's face drops in annoyance. The older only scoffs.

"Okay, what else you got?"

Whi-Two again thinks for a moment.

"Alright… Which division did you come from?"

"Not applicable. Was directly employed into Nimbasa."

The girl looks at him in disbelief.

"Directly...? T-Then that means…"

"Graduated top of my batch," Lack-Two announces with half-hearted enthusiasm, hitting his wineglass against her mug. "Cheers."

He then takes a long sip, and as he lowers his glass, he sees Whi-Two still looking at him with the same expression.

"Yeah," he whispers, leaning forward again to pour himself another glass.

"I'm awesome."

The younger simply rolls her eyes.

"So… You grew up here?"

"No."

Whi-Two watches him as he performs the repetitive routine of finishing his glass and filling it again. This went on for a few minutes until the young detective destroys the silence with a groan.

"You're not good at this, are you?" she asks.

"I'm only as good as the person asking the questions…"

Whi-Two gives him a deadpanned look, to which Lack-Two answers with a small chuckle.

"If you must know," he begins, leaning back again. "I was originally from Nuvema. But if I wanted to grow even more, I am going to need a bigger space. So I moved directly to Nimbasa." He turns his head to look at her, and then continues softly and slowly: "And I never looked back."

Whi-Two finds herself leaning closer, noticing that it was getting harder and harder for her to hear.

"And why is that?"

Lack-Two takes that moment to allow himself a pause. He looks directly into Whi-Two's eyes, and slowly, ever so slowly, he lets his gaze mellow, and felt a small sense of delight when he finds her doing the same.

He hasn't lost his touch.

"I fell in love…" he whispers slowly, letting his lips and his tongue dance along with the phrase.

But to his surprise, Whi-Two's face suddenly changes.

"With who?" she asks in her normal, slightly high-pitched voice. Then her eyes light up excitedly.

"Inspector Lai?"

Lack-Two watches her for a moment, and before he knows it, he finds himself snorting, and the snort grows into a chuckle, and the chuckle grows into laughter. Whi-Two looks at him, confused.

"No, not with Lai," he finally says as his laughter dies down. He then straightens himself, and reaches for a remote by his coffee table.

"I fell in love with this..."

Lack-Two points the remote upward and presses something. Then, all of a sudden, the lights grow dim, and from each wall that surrounded their seat, what seemed like blinds began climbing up, revealing windows made of clear glass. Whi-Two's jaw drops.

What was once Lack-Two's gray blue walls are now a magnificent view of the towers that donned the Nimbasa skyline. It was like floating in the middle of everything, and Whi-Two watched as the so-called city that never sleeps gradually slip into its beautiful evening wear, preparing to live up to its tag line, all from the comfort of Lack-Two's living room.

"Wow…" she breathes.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Lack-Two replies, watching as the lights from a nearby building starts turning on one by one. "I'm lucky to live in a city like this…"

Whi-Two looks at him for a moment, watching as her mentor's eyes reflect the dancing lights in his eyes.

She knew that look more than anything else. It was the same look they all said she had when she describes Aspertia.

The girl sighs before looking down.

"Yeah. Me too."

-...-

Whi-Two looks around Lack-Two's living room as the latter went over to his bar to retrieve another bottle. It was the first time since she's entered his place that she was able to get a good look of the entire place, and what she was not able to place her finger on earlier was how it was all...uncomfortably extravagant.

 _Too_ uncomfortably extravagant.

The sound of a bottle softly hitting the table's glass surface retracts her attention, followed by the sudden presence of another human being finding his place next to her.

Lack-Two was about to lift his glass to his lips when he notices from his peripheral view his mentee giving him yet another of her rather peculiar gazes.

"Now, what?"

The girl blinks a few times before speaking.

"Okay," she begins. "Since we're on the subject of getting to know you, I think this is the right time for me to ask…" She makes a point to lean forward, towards him, and then she lowers her voice.

"Are you or are you not a gambling lord's son?"

Lack-Two only retains his expression.

"I'm sorry?"

"Come on, Sir, this apartment alone costs more than what I think you should make in a year as a UPD Inspector. Then there's the car and the signature clothes and the being able to leave and enter the country as you please... You being involved with a giant from the black market is the only plausible explanation there is."

At that, Lack-Two chuckles.

"So, being the son of the owner of the only government-allowed liquor company here in our country is _not_ a plausible explanation?"

"You're the son of a wine-maker?" Whi-Two makes a face. "People make money out of that?"

Lack-Two takes a small sip.

"You do when you're the only one who's legally allowed to do so." He exhales.

"By the way, the proper term is 'brewer', not wine-maker."

Whi-Two raises her brows in acknowledgement.

"So, son of a brewer." She shakes her head, softly giggling. "Who would've thought…"

Lack-Two laughs softly.

"Why do you think I'm such a liquor savant?"

The young detective returns her gaze to him.

"Is that what they call it?" she asks.

"Because back in Striaton, we call people like you 'drunkards'."

Lack-Two watches her for a moment before dipping his fingers on his bucket of ice and then splashing it to his mentee's face. Whi-Two once again giggles.

"...So where is he?"

"I don't know. Somewhere out there hiding his newest woman from Monique? I don't really keep a radar on him."

The girl gives him a look.

"You call your mother Monique?"

Lack-Two scoffs.

"Monique's not my mother…"

Whi-Two's face falls at the statement.

"Oh," she mumbles in acknowledgement. Slowly, she lets her gaze drop, feeling her face burn. Lack-Two watches her crawl away from what seemed to her as lively conversation. Then he considers for a moment, before letting off a resigned sigh.

Normally, he'd appreciate the silence, especially if the original topic was his personal life, which he was never fond of disclosing.

But what the heck. This was Whi-Two, after all.

"She's Daniel's," he suddenly quips, reaching forward to refill his glass.

Whi-Two's head suddenly shoots up as she slowly lands her gaze towards her mentor. He looks at her somewhat expectantly.

The conversation goes on.

"And Daniel is... Your brother, right?" Whi-Two remembers the name from when Lack-Two gave her his brother's number should trouble come up. The number that until now she still couldn't believe Lack-Two had disclosed.

She had half the mind to think it was probably fake.

Lack-Two nods.

"Yeah."

"...And where is he?"

"Living with his wife in Lacunosa. He visits from time to time to check up on me and makes sure I do what dad tells me to do."

"Things like what?"

"You know: eat right, sleep enough hours, retain my 'good' image as a policeman in order to give him and his business a good name. Classic family stuff."

Whi-Two finds herself giggling awkwardly.

"'Good' image...?" She wonders if this was where all the 'Mister Perfect' business came from.

Lack-Two only shrugs.

"It's really no big deal for me. All he wants is for me to not get into trouble or involved in any issue that will cost him his reputation."

"And you're fine with that? The pressure?"

"Seems like a better alternative than succeeding his position."

"Don't really see yourself as a businessman, huh?"

"Whi-Two, I hardly give a damn for sales and marketing and what have you. I only care about being surrounded by the best foreign liquor my dad's work has to offer." Lack-Two refills his glass yet again, and then lean back, a small, satisfied look in his face.

"And I get just that by being an obedient son."

Whi-Two looks at him with a judgemental grin.

"Selling your soul to your father in exchange for fancy alcohol?" The girl rolls her eyes exaggeratingly.

"What a wine-slut."

"Excuse me?"

Whi-Two gives him a plastered grin.

"Nothing, Inspector Lack-Two…"

She eyes him for a moment, watching him try to find a more comfortable position for his head against his couch's backrest. Then she opts to do the same.

"What about your mother?"

"What about her?"

Whi-Two turns her head to him.

"Where is she right now?"

There was an evident awkward shift in the boy's gaze, making Whi-Two regret her question.

"...Sir?"

"She's…" he trails off, as if trying to construct his next words carefully. Then he gives yet another sigh of resignation.

"In Nuvema Town." A look of hesitation, but nonetheless, he continues.

"With her family."

Again, Whi-Two feels her stomach constrict.

"Oh," she says softly.

"Yeah…" Lack-Two grimaces. "My mom hated my dad's guts with a passion, she was resolved never to talk to him again. Let alone acquaint herself with him. To her, James Alart never happened, and by virtue of that…" He gently rocks his glass around, watching its content splash around gently against its crystal walls.

"I kinda never happened."

"Sir, I'm sorry for asking. I—"

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Lack-Two suddenly snorts, sitting up. "She was really a nurturing mother back when I was living under her. Plus, her new husband was pretty cool. He taught me how to smooth-talk my way out of any situation, and that was pretty useful."

Whi-Two finds herself giggling.

"She just... didn't like how my chosen career path required that I go back to the city where she met my dad. And, to make matters worse, that same man found himself back in our lives by agreeing to finance my education, and she hated that. But she couldn't do anything about it. Her only son is pursuing his dreams... How could she say no to that?"

Lack-Two throws his head back to finish the glass in one shot. Then he starts refilling it again.

Whi-Two had lost count of how many glasses he's gone through since they sat down.

"Needless to say, mom and I drifted apart. We still communicate via occasional postcards, and I sometimes drive up to Nuvema every now and then... But that's it."

He lets out one long sigh before letting himself sink back to his couch.

"Things you do for dreams, huh?"

Whi-Two watches Lack-Two for a moment, suddenly without anything to say. He didn't seem to mind—she surmised that this was a natural thing for him: silence.

Still, she couldn't fight the feeling that maybe Lack-Two wanted her to say something. The ball was now on her side of the court. But for once—for the first time since she's met Lack-Two—Whi-Two had nothing to say. So, she resorted to what she thought was the best course of action.

Without giving it as much as a single thought, she reaches forward and touches his hand.

Lack-Two's glass freezes in front of his lips. He lowers it and lands his gaze to where his hand was trapped underneath Whi-Two's. Then, he looks up at Whi-Two, questioning her with his eyes.

Whi-Two finds herself blushing.

"T-This isn't weird, is it—?"

"Oh, it is."

Whi-Two finds herself blushing. Lack-Two only returns his gaze to his ceiling before closing his eyes.

"But, then again, it's you, so…" He shrugs, lifting the glass back to his lips for another sip.

Whi-Two was about to say something but was stopped when she's noticed that Lack-Two had barely moved his other hand underneath hers. She had half the mind to point it out, or retract her hand herself, but something inside her told her that this could be helping, in some weird way. So she decided to let it rest there until he himself pulls away.

"Say, want to know something?"

The sound of Lack-Two's wineglass hitting his coffee table slightly shocks Whi-Two. Her eyes dart it a look out of reflex, and when she finds that there was nothing, she returns her gaze to her inspector.

Whi-Two almost jumped back in shock.

Lack-Two's face was only a few inches from hers. All of a sudden, Whi-Two was very much aware of how much alcohol her superior had consumed.

Subtly, her other hand began crawling towards her purse, feeling around for Janice. And she was about to fish the weapon out when Lack-Two's lips finally part.

"...You don't remind me of my mother. At all."

Whi-Two feels her hand releasing the weapon back into her purse in confusion.

"Sorry… what?"

At that, Lack-Two chuckles, straightening himself and finally pulling his hand away.

"I don't know," he says, reaching for his glass and his bottle.

"Something told me I needed to throw it out there."

-...-

Lack-Two lands his newly-acquired bottle—the third one since he's began, Whi-Two counts to herself in slight alarm—on his coffee table and finds a place yet again next to his subordinate. The latter only proceeds to look at him judgingly.

As if he'd pay attention to it this time around.

"Say," he begins, pouring his glass close to the brim. "Not that I'm trying to kick you out or something, but... Are you alright staying this late?"

The question throws Whi-Two a bit off.

"What are you talking about?" she blinks before looking up at the clock by Lack-Two's wall. It read 9:22.

"It's still early."

At that, Lack-Two raises a brow, and then follows the girl's gaze to where his clock was.

"Oh," he softly mouths before returning his gaze to her.

"That clock's not running. I think it stopped while I was gone. Haven't gotten to changing its batteries yet."

Whi-Two's eyes widen.

"What…?"

Before Lack-Two could say anything, Whi-Two suddenly pounces on her purse and starts digging for her phone. She pulls it up with much rigor, and true enough, without her noticing, it was already half past midnight.

Whi-Two feels her stomach sink.

"Lack-Two...?"

"Hm?"

"What time do the roads close again?"

Lack-Two actually pauses from his drinking to look at her incredulously.

"Midnight," he replies. "Aren't you supposed to know that?" He scoffs, shaking his head.

"Some policeman you a—"

Lack-Two was cut off with the feeling of his glass being ripped off quickly from his hand.

He sighs and then turns to Whi-Two and watches as she finishes the half-filled glass of champagne in one swig.

Then he sighs to himself as he bent over for the bottle.

"Yes, Whi-Two, you can stay the night."

Whi-Two puts the glass down, holding her breath in hope of preventing herself from puking.

"Oh, I simply can't impose that much trouble on you, Inspector…"

"You don't really have a choice, Detective."

Lack-Two was about to lift the bottle to his lips when Whi-Two pries it off his hands again. Once more, he sighs, turning to her direction and watching as she gulps down the alcohol straight from the source.

For someone who doesn't drink, she sure drinks a lot.

A few moments later, Whi-Two puts the bottle down as she gasps for air.

"Your heart is kind, Sir," she squeaks, again trying to stop herself from hurling. Then, after some deep heavy breaths, she tilts her head back and goes another round with the bottle again.

Lack-Two watches for another minute or so before he simply shrugs. Then he reaches for her phone.

Whi-Two lowers the bottle one more time.

"What are you doing?"

"Replacing your mother's number on your phone's speed-dial with mine," he replies, not lifting his eyes from her phone.

"Why?"

Lack-Two raises both brows.

"Oh, no reason," he says. "It's just so I can prevent your mother from having to come get you should you pass out in a bar or something.

Whi-Two makes a face.

"I'm never gonna pass out in a bar or something."

"Yeah," Lack-Two nods, a bit mockingly, as he hands her back her phone.

"That's what we drunkards always say."

-...-

That night, Whi-Two dreamed she was still being pursued by the man from a few missions ago, but now only a shadow. She dreamed of the same warehouse, the same giant crates, and the same darkness, only this time, she was unarmed. And instead of running after the man, she was running from him. She leaped through every obstacle with ease, but somehow she can't seem to find the end. Even if she swears she was running in a straight line, the path seemed circular. Neverending.

Just as it had been the night before. And the night before that. And the night before that.

And, as if scripted, it ended with Whi-Two falling on the ground one reason or another, with the shadowed face of her assailant hovering over her, a gun in his hand, pointed to her face. She feels herself freeze for a moment, and the moment she hears the click of the trigger, she feels herself roll over, and falls off the bed.

Whi-Two's eyes flutter open at the feeling of landing against something quite soft—much, much softer than her bedroom floor—and what greets her was her inspector's disapproving face.

The girl screams, and clambers quickly back to bed. Lack-Two begrudgingly rises from what appeared to be a makeshift bed, rubbing his face in frustration.

"I-Inspector?!" Whi-Two cries. "W-What are you doing here?! What am I doing here?!" Her eyes frantically journey around the entire room. "Where am I?!"

But Lack-Two does not respond, and simply glares at her. Then, with a heavy sigh, he takes his pillow, and throws it at her.

"You know what?" he grunts, shoving her farther to the other side as he clambered up.

"If you're not going to sleep, then let the guy who has duty tomorrow _get_ some sleep."

He grabs the covers and pulls it halfway over him. Then he lets himself crash to his pillow, face first.

Whi-Two feels all the colors from her face drain as she looks around, trying to remember where she was and how she got there. Then, it slowly dawns to her.

"Jesus Christ," she winces, lightly hitting her face with her palm. Then she looks around, and finds Lack-Two's desk by her side of the bed. She reaches for it and lets his alarm clock face her.

About three hours more before the roads would open again. She groans.

She was still stranded in her own superior's apartment. Unless of course she's willing to brave walking the roads alone.

Whi-Two sighs.

People can say all they want about her and her so-called "reliable" skills but she cannot for the life of her accept these compliments if she still messes up what's supposedly the small things.

Frustrated, she lies down and tries to steal a few more hours of sleep, but finds almost immediately that she couldn't anymore. She tries to turn on her side, finding a more comfortable position, and only then did her mind suddenly acknowledge what was arguably an obvious fact:

She was technically in the same bed as Lack-Two.

Whi-Two almost tears up from trying hard not to scream.

 _Why me?!_

Realizing finally that she simply can not sleep anymore in these conditions, she sits up. She looks around the boy's room a few times.

Just like his kitchen and his living room, there was almost nothing hanging around Lack-Two's bedroom walls. There was only a wall clock, and a couple of lamps built into the walls. No images, paintings, or any form of wall-decor. Whi-Two could actually bet that this was how it looked like when her inspector first moved in.

For a glamorous apartment, it all seemed dreary. Dull. _Impersonal._

Whi-Two's gaze lands on the bundle of blankets and limbs lying perfectly still next to her, and it only made her stomach sink even lower.

Even in his own home—in his own _slumber_ —his defenses were still evidently up: body facing down, one hand near his head and the other next to a small dresser where she can only surmise to be where he kept his guns. It was a position of someone anticipating, even in his sleep, that danger will come by and try to take him down.

Whi-Two couldn't help but think that maybe her inspector had valid reasons and wasn't just a paranoid prick. She wondered if it had something to do with his line of work.

Lack-Two _was_ notorious after all, possibly not only in their ranks. Frankly, with his skills and his reputation, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if there were people out there who'd want him dead.

The thought somehow terrifies Whi-Two. She wondered if she'll eventually turn into someone like him one day. Even more so, she wonders if she's already there.

Suddenly, the recurring scenes from her dreams come back to haunt her.

Whi-Two shakes her head at the thought.

"I can't do this," she mumbles, nearing her knees to her chest and hugging them. Then she buries her face to it.

"Especially not another three hours of this."

She suddenly feels her mentor shift slightly, making her gaze fly back to him, fearing she might have woken him up. But aside from the slight tremor from the hand nearer to his face, he still lay perfectly still.

For someone who's supposedly on high alert, Lack-Two was quite the sound sleeper.

 _Lucky him_ , Whi-Two thinks bitterly to herself.

Then she hears a mumble. Again, she looks at her mentor.

 _Is he sleep-talking…?_

"Detective…"

Whi-Two's eyes widen at the word. Was her inspector dreaming about her?

"L-Lack-Two…?"

"Detective…"

"Y-Yeah…?"

His next words were incoherent mumbles.

"I…"

Whi-Two's eyes widen.

 _You… What…?_

Still unable to hear, she tries to come nearer, leaning so much, she swore she could smell a faint air of his scent.

"Detective…"

"Y-Yes, Lack-Two…?"

"I…"

"You…?"

Then, all of a sudden, just as she was but a few inches away from him, her inspector's eyes flutter open, landing an alarmingly penetrating gaze towards her.

"... I suggest you take a picture. It'll last longer."

The room and the silence of the evening was filled with a shrill scream.

-...-

Lack-Two groans as he turns and lands on his back a bit uncomfortably. He takes a moment to give a side glance to his detective who was but a slight force away from breaking a hole into his wall with the way she pressed herself against it before heaving another groan.

"Well, this isn't working…"

At that, Whi-Two quickly straightens herself.

"I-I can sleep on the floor or in your living room if you like, Sir. I…"

"That's _not_ the problem," he stresses, sighing. "It's jet lag. My body clock's still messed up from the travel. And here I thought the champagne was kicking in…"

Whi-Two watches her inspector with a lost expression.

"So, you're not…?"

The older gives her another look.

"Aren't you bothered?" she asks, blinking. "Being in the same bed as a woman?"

Lack-Two gives her a long, almost judging look.

Then he scoffs.

"'Woman'..."

The girl rolls her eyes.

"Ignoring that," she sighs, easing herself back to her original place, a few safe inches away from him.

Somehow, her inspector's hits always tire her no matter the situation.

"I don't even know why I'm so worried," she mumbles, gently landing her head to one of his pillows.

"I bet you've been in bed with tons of women, so I won't be surprised if this is nothing to you."

To her surprise, Lack-Two suddenly turns to her, inching his face nearer to her.

"You seem interested," he whispers, almost in a breathy voice.

"Why, Detective? You want to know if _this_ is something to me?"

At that, the girl's eyes widen in fear and astonishment.

"W-What...? What?!"

Lack-Two's expression suddenly drops.

"Of course, that's not true," he claims, turning himself back to his original position.

"I'm a police officer, not a prostitute. Get your facts straight, Detective."

"Well, you can't blame me for thinking that you can get down and dirty with just anyone," Whi-Two pouts, easing her head back to her side of the pillow.

"You give off that kind of air sometimes."

At that, Lack-Two pauses, and turns to her for a short moment. Then he sighs.

"Guess, I'm just a really good actor, then... That's all I can ever be."

Whi-Two turns to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means this is what happens when you've been in the undercover business for as long as I have been." He looks at her again.

"You begin to lose sight of your real identity. Everything just starts being an act."

The girl could only blink.

"To be quite honest, I somehow lost track of who I am—or rather, who I _was._ " Another sigh.

"Maybe that's why you don't know much about me despite who you are. It's all a matter of me: I've just become completely versatile for my own good."

Whi-Two watches him for a moment, wondering slightly if this was the alcohol speaking—or the alcohol hearing for her, she also considered—or if this was her inspector finally opening up to her. She tried noting the rise and fall of his voice, or the way his minimal movements gave him away. But somehow, Lack-Two was just the same. There was nothing notable. Not his eyes, not his breathing, not his fidgeting (or lack thereof).

There was only Lack-Two. Her inspector.

A person who she has unconsciously associated with firmness. Discipline. Consistency.

 _Consistency…_

The girl takes a moment to look down, thinking slightly to herself. Then, she shuffles a bit, letting her eyes share her inspector's view of the ceiling.

"Well, you're strict and particular, almost to a fault, when it comes to work, but surprisingly pretty lenient when it comes to other things, especially with personal matters."

The sudden rise in her voice slightly shocked Lack-Two, enough to make him look at her a little longer.

But Whi-Two didn't seem to notice, and if she did, she didn't seem to care.

She only continued speaking.

"You look out for people's well-being, and go out of your way to make someone feel better, but you're too shy to admit that you're doing it out of personal will. Always using your job as an excuse."

"Detective…"

"...What else?" Whi-Two muses, lifting a finger to her chin in that weird, childlike way that she does when she was deep in thought. Lack-Two shocks himself for adoring it.

"You love Nimbasa and everything it stands for. You're alarmingly addicted to champagne. Let's see... You... laugh when things get awkward. Get mad when things don't meet your ridiculous expectations. And you smile... a lot. Just in secret which is why only a people could appreciate it."

It was then that she finally turns his head to him. Out of surprise, Lack-Two turns away.

Whi-Two finds herself smiling.

"You don't make direct eye contact when you talk, and when you do, your words are limited."

Slowly, Lack-Two returns his gaze back to her.

"It's like... You'd rather read their eyes than listen to them talk. Like you're perpetually lost in them. And, sometimes, it's quite calming... To be stared into by someone like you…"

"That's…"

"...And you're in love with Inspector Lai!"

The sudden rise in her tone the second time around stuns Lack-Two. So much so that he spent the next minute or so blinking at her. Then slowly—ever so slowly, it was almost like a melody—the corners of his mouth twitch, and before Whi-Two could even tell herself what was to happen, he laughed.

Lack-Two laughed.

Her inspector—the man who barely gave a stare to her direction during morning greetings and would shrug off every joke attempt others made around him— _he_ laughed.

It wasn't anything free-spirited or jolly, like normal people's laughter, but something told Whi-Two that this was still real.

He was really laughing.

Regardless of whether it was with her or at her, he was still laughing.

Whi-Two made Lack-Two laugh.

She didn't know what to make of herself.

"Honestly," Lack-Two mumbles, sitting up and collecting a pillow and a blanket as he did.

"You're a handful, kid."

Then he starts climbing off of his bed. Only then did Whi-Two snap off of her trance.

"W-Wait, where are you going?"

"Living room," Lack-Two replies matter-of-factly.

"I'll be sleeping in my couch tonight."

"B-But…" Whi-Two mumbles, attempting to sit up as well.

"I'll be waking up in a few hours, Detective," he quips, turning to her, a blanket and a pillow in his arms. Somehow, it made a funny image for Whi-Two.

"So, I think it's only practical that I stray away from something comforting."

"I-I'm sorry for keeping you up, Sir…"

At that, Lack-Two scoffs.

"Please," he says, turning away.

"This is going to be the most sleep I'll have in _weeks_. You got yourself to blame for that."

Whi-Two watches him for a moment as he fumbles with his doorknob, trying to balance the pillow and the blanket in his one hand.

It all seemed… Silly. Unreal.

Comforting.

"...Sir?"

Again, Lack-Two turns to him.

Whi-Two flashes a shy little smile.

"Thank you," she whispers. "For letting me stay."

Lack-Two watches her for another good minute before smiling.

"And thank you," he whispers back.

"For coming over."

Lack-Two pulls his door open, but he gives her one last look before stepping out.

"Get some sleep, kid."

Whi-Two, since she's gotten there, only decided then to heed her inspector's request with no protest. Suddenly, drowsiness and tiredness found their way into her system.

Slowly, she started sinking into his sheets. But she didn't go without a single word.

"Why can't you be nice like this at work?" she almost slurs.

Lack-Two was already fiddling with his locks.

"I can't drink while I'm at work. It's against Station Policy."

Whi-Two yawns.

"Fayba of the Traffic Enforcement always arrives at the Station drunk…"

"...That's why he's not an inspector."

Whi-Two's eyes were already shut, and she was already speaking in slurs. Lack-Two had decided to stop replying, but her next words proved too hard for him to ignore:

"Good night, Lack-Two…"

Lack-Two watches her for a moment, his hand ready to pull the door close behind him. He was already out of the room, and was in no obligation to respond.

And he really didn't plan to.

So slowly and quietly, he pulls on the doorknob, and as the opening that gave him a glimpse of his young subordinate's sleeping figure slowly shrinks, he catches himself whispering:

"Good night, Whi-Two."

 **-Mission_7 Status: Complete-**

" _ **As part of Unova's currently existing measures on maintaining control of the situation, traffic enforcement is taken extremely seriously. Various rules are implemented across the region, including but not limited to plate number coding and transportation curfews.**_

 _ **Discussing the latter further, it is highly encouraged that citizens be not occupying the highways after 00:00 without securing a permit from their respective UPD Division Offices. Traffic resumes at exactly 5:00AM the following day. All officers, regardless of the unit, are required to uphold these laws." Excerpt from the UPD Trooper's Manual, Chapter 8: A Brief Introduction to UPD Law Enforcement and Practices**_

 **As if I needed a new reason to update even slower, I'm a working adult now.**


End file.
